Eloise
by oghianoos
Summary: Donny saves Eloise from an SS officer and she starts traveling with the Basterds as their nurse. Romance ensues. Donny/OC
1. The Slip

**This is the first story I've published. I've written others before, but this is the first one I've ever let anyone read. So I hope you enjoy! Rated M for future chapters. Also, everything in italics is meant to be a different language (usually French), and everything written normally in quotations are in English.**

"_What __would __you __like __this __morning, __Monsieur?__" _my morning starts out as it has the past few weeks; at the bistro with the same man who comes in every morning at 8:50 AM sharp. I stare at the SS uniform that he wears every morning, trying to avoid looking him in the eyes. _"__Why __don__'__t __you __ever __call __me __by __my __name? __I __always __address __you __by __yours, __Eloise, __I __hoped __you__'__d __return __the __favor.__" _He offers me a crooked smile.

I know he is only trying to make me feel comfortable around him. I'm generally an awkward person when it comes to most social situations. The uncomfortable feeling I have around August, however, has nothing to do with my personality. August is a handsome man with his light brown hair, blue eyes, and chiseled jaw. It's everything that he stands for that is ugly. That saying I've always heard, "What's a good plate with nothing on it?" comes to mind. But August isn't a good plate with nothing on it, he's a good plate covered in filth. I've seen him interact with the other waitresses; he is curt and acts as if he is above them in every social aspect of the word. Another popular saying comes to mind, the one about being able to judge a man best by how he treats his inferiors. As of lately, he's been sitting the area of the bistro that I serve so he can repeatedly attempt, and fail, to woo me.

_"__Sorry. __August, __what __would __you __like __to __have __today?__" _I say, adding emphasis to his name, trying my best to hide whatever hints of annoyance might be slipping through my voice. _"__Actually, __mademoiselle, __I __was __just __hoping __you __would __join __me __at __my __table __today.__" _He smiles that crooked smile again. I requite it by forcing my own lips to turn up at the corners. _"__Wonderful __as __that __may __sound, __August, __I __have __far __too __much __work __I __have __to __do. __I__'__m __sorry, __perhaps __another __time.__"_

He frowns at me, _"__What __sort __of __work? __I__'__m __sure __it__'__s __something __the __other __girls __can __manage __to __complete __without __you.__" _There is a hint of disbelief in his eyes. _"__Any __other __time, __you __would __be __correct. __Anja __and __Marie __are __perfectly __capable __of __keeping __this __place __together __with __or __without __me. __Today, __however, __I __was __hoping __to __go __home __early __to __catch __a __movie __playing __at __a __local __cinema. __So __I __made __a __deal __with __Anja; __I __would __do __some __of __her __tasks __so __I __could __get __off __of __work __earlier __to __make __it __in __time __for __the __movie. __So __I __really __must__ –" _August cut me off, _"__You __were __hoping __to __go __to __the __cinema __tonight?__" _I nod my head glaring at him dead in the eye in an attempt to make him realize how rude he was to interrupt me. No such luck, _"__That __sounds __wonderful! __I __could __always __spend __time __with __you __then __instead! __I__'__ll __pick __you __up __here __around __6?__"_

My mouth hangs slightly open in surprise. Did he just invite himself? I muster up the most monotone voice I can, again in an attempt to hide my annoyance, _"__I__'__m __sorry __August, __but __I __was __hoping __to __go __alone.__" _He rises out of his seat, still smiling, _"__Nonsense, __Eloise. __Going __to __the __cinema __alone __is __silly, __why __not __have __company? __I __assure __you,__" _he pauses to lean a little closer, that devilish half smile returning, _"__I __am __very __good __company __to __have.__" _He purses his lips a bit while still smiling as he turns to walk out, _"__See __you __tonight, __Eloise!__" _And just as the door closes behind him, I mutter out, _"__Shit.__" _The word came out as if someone had squeezed it out of me. As I head to the back of the bistro to get supplies ready for the day, I decide I won't avoid tonight. I'll just go but be on my worst behavior, that way he won't want anything to do with me anymore. It would be the easiest way to get him off of my tail.

I get on my red lipstick as the last touch. Just because I'm going to be as rude as possible tonight, doesn't mean I can't look attractive while doing it. I have on a simple black flowing dress with a ribbon around the waist, semi-transparent black stockings, two-inch heels, and a dark gray peacoat. I pull half of my long, thick brown hair back and pin it up. I feel attractive, and it feels good. It isn't too often that I get the opportunity to dress up like this, so I'm trying to take full advantage.

I arrive at the bistro, and August is already there, waiting for me. _"__So __glad __you__'__re __allowing __me __to __join __you __tonight, __Mademoiselle.__"_ There's that half smile again. _"__Technically, __you __did __not __ask __me. __So __I __did __not __actually __permit __you __to __join __me.__" _All of the vexation stuck inside me from the past two weeks of waiting on him at the bistro finally seeps out. His smile doesn't falter, _"__I __appreciate __a __woman __with __a __mild __sense __of __humor!__" _I very visibly roll my eyes and he gives me another chuckle. This is going to be a long night.

_"__So, __Eloise,__" _he bumps his shoulder into mine as we walk to the car, _"__Tell __me __about __yourself, __have __you __lived __in __France __all __your __life?__" _He helps me into the backseat of the car. _"__Yes.__" _A very curt answer, this is going to be easier than I thought. _"__Are __you __going __to __school __or __is __working __at __the __bistro __your __main __occupation?__" _I can't wait for this car ride to be over, especially if he is going to continue asking me about myself. _"__I __went __to __a __nursing __school, __starting __when __I __turned __17 __because __of __how __young __I __started __school. __I __finished __the __program __last __spring. __I __would __be __working __as __a __nurse __but __I__'__ve __found __I __don__'__t __have __the __stomach __to __deal __with __some __patients.__" _He responds with another question, _"__Have __you __ever __been __outside __of __France? __Do __you __know __any __other __languages __besides __French?__" _He's really trying to get me to talk and I'm hoping he eventually gets the hint. _"__I __went __to __England __to __visit __my __uncle __once, __but __that__'__s __the __only __time __I__'__ve __been __outside __the __country. __And __yes, __I __do __speak __more __than __just __French.__"_ I'm not even looking at him at this point, just staring out the window. _"__Well, __what __other __languages?__"_

Thankfully, he sounds a bit annoyed at this point. _"__Well, __obviously __I __speak __French. __I __also __speak __English __very __well __from __the __classes __I__'__ve __been __taking __since __I __was __little. __I __know __Farsi __as __well.__" _His eyebrows raise a little, _"__Farsi, __where __on __earth __did __you __learn __that?__" _he lets out a little chuckle of surprise. _"__My __mother __is __Persian, __she __would __talk __to __me __in __Farsi __and __my __father __would __speak __to __me __in __French. __They __figured __that __way __I __could __know __at __least __two __different __languages __before __I __turned __10.__" _I let out a small sigh; thinking about my parents always puts me in a melancholy state.

_"__You __don__'__t __speak __any __German, __though? __What __a __shame!__" _As he says this, he slowly slides his hand onto my thigh. It takes all of my strength not to cringe at his touch. _"__No,__" _I say, bringing my monotone back, _"__Never __had __much __of __an __interest __to __anyways. __I __don__'__t __think __I __ever __will __either.__" _He scoffs a little, _"__Tsk __tsk __tsk. __What __a __shame. __You __know, __I __could __teach __you __if __you__'__d __like. __It__'__d __be __a __shame __if __you __never __learn __it, __Kätzchen.__"_

I furrow my eyebrows a little, where have I heard that word before? I think it was from Anja; she once told me her father, who is German, used to call her mother that, as a term of endearment. It means kitten; he just called me kitten. _"__I __don__'__t __think __we__'__re __at __a __point __in __our __acquaintance __where __you __can __nickname me __anything, __August.__" _He notices the sour tone of my voice and frowns. _"__If __you __don__'__t __like __me __calling __you __that, __I __can __call __you __something __else. __We __are __more __than __acquaintances, __though, __you __can__'__t __fool __yourself.__" _I hate that smug tone of his voice.

We have finally arrived at the cinema. The minute I get out of the car, I start walking away from August but he starts running after me. _"__Eloise! __Stop! __Where __are __you __going?__" _it almost sounds as if he is barking. He grabs my arm to flip me around, _"__Listen __sir,__" _I say in the most unpleasant tone I can muster up, _"__I __didn__'__t __even __want __you __to __come __tonight. __You __annoy __me __and __I __can__'__t __stand __you! __You__'__re an egotistical ass__, __and __I __don__'__t __want __anything __to __do __with __you. __So __please, __don__'__t __try __to __tell __me __what __I __do __and __don__'__t __want. __Who __are __you __to __talk __to __me __like __you __own __me?__" _I spit out the last part. Almost immediately I regret speaking with such spite because August tightens his grip on my arm with his hand from around my back, pulling it upwards while it's behind me. I'm in pain but I can't think of how to fight back. I spent all of my courage on those hateful words and I seem to have none left.


	2. The Awful Sweetness of Escaping Sweet

**Two chapters in one night! Woot!**

"_Listen, __Hündin,__" _August spits, _"__I __might __as __well __own __you. __Do __you __know __how __respected __of __an __official __I __am?__" _his grip is tightening further. _"__There__'__s __no __respect __here, __August. __Do __you __think __I __care __what __other __brainless __men __think __of __you?__" _I'm really testing my luck here and I'm scaring myself.

He pulls me by the arm and shoulder to an alley about a block away, making his driver wait in front of the cinema. It's so dark and I'm afraid for my safety, why did I have to be so aggressive? I could have just been rude. I knew insulting his rank was a bad idea, but I had done it anyways. _"__Because __I __find __you __attractive, __I__'__ll __give __you __two __options. __I__'__ll __give __you __one __last __chance __to __take __this __all __back; __we __can __go __back __to __the __cinema, __watch __the __movie, __and __then __I__'__ll __take __you __home __and __you __can __fuck __me __like __a __good __Kätzchen, __or,__" _his face is so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my cheeks and my eyes start to tear up, he has my back against the wall and my arm is starting to hurt something awful. He puts his free hand on my crotch, pressing hard, _"__You __can __fuck __me __like __the __dirty __slut __you __are __out __here __in __the __open.__" _At this point, the tears are streaming down my face. I don't know what to do and my heart is beating like a rabbit's.

_"__Actually, __I __think __I__'__ll __make __the __decision,__" _he's leaning even more into me now, his hand replaced by his leg, pressing hard into me, and my breath hitches in my throat. _"__I__'__m __going __to __fuck __you __right __here. __Right __now.__" _He rips my stockings off, my cries are becoming louder, _"__Please, __please __stop. __I__'__m __sorry! __I __shouldn__'__t __have __said __those __things! __Please, __I__'__ve __never __done __this __before!__" _As he processes the last part of what I said, a low growl comes out of his throat, _"__So __you__'__re __not __as __much __of __a __whore __as __I __thought __you __were. __That__'__s __good.__"_ He unzips his pants and lifts up my dress.

As he is taking out his member, I hear a loud thud and August's heels roll backwards. As he's falling back, a pair of arms go under his to keep him from falling. I see a bat on the ground and hear the owner of the arms holding August up speak, "I don't see why I couldn't let the son of a bitch fall backwards, it'd hurt him more." That accent, he must be American, and that bat! That must be the infamous Bear Jew I'd heard so much about. I'd only heard of the basterds before but never dreamed of meeting them, let alone having one of them save me.

"Because, Donny, er'd be a loud thud and others may come runnin' and we don't want 'at." This man was older than the one who saved me, and he had more of a drawl when he spoke, but they both sounded American. "You alright sweetheart?" the older one asked, keeping his distance. "What if she doesn't speak English?" Donny asks.  
>"I'm… o-okay," I choked out. My tears were still coming down, "J-just shaken up is a-all."<p>

"We oughtta be thankin' ya' girly, we've been looking for the right opportunity to present itself to get the prick," he grinned widely, unlike August's grin, it seemed genuine and made me feel better, "I mean, we wanted to get answers from him first, but 'at didn't really come to mind first when we saw him harassin' you. But we got bigger fish to fry anyhow." He shot a look at who I presumed to be the Bear Jew.

"Sorry lieutenant," he said in a passive tone. The other man with them who I hadn't noticed until now started laughing at his response.

"So y-you… you're sure he's dead?" I ask in a shaky voice. "Naaah," the Lieutenant replied, "I ain't sure but we can't really take him back like this, can we? I mean, we don't have enough men to carry him."

"So… you're just going to leave him here?" I was very aware at how shrill my voice had just become. I'm sure he'll come to rape and kill me the minute he regains consciousness. The lieutenant jut out his bottom lip and nodded, "Yup. We'd kill him now but if he's alive, we might be able to get answers out of him when he gets up. We'll come back for 'im, don't you worry your pretty little head." I look at him in disbelief, "You do realize he'll come after me the minute he wakes up?" He takes a long look at August and says, "Honey, I don't think this sum-bitch is getting up and if he does it won't be any time soon."

The Bear Jew takes a long look at the Lieutenant, then at me, then back to the Lieutenant. "Alright, Donowitz, Utivich, let's get out of here –" "Wait," Donowitz cuts him off and walks closer to him, leaning in and whispering quite loudly, "If the girl isn't safe here, we should take her back with us. Just until we've figured out if she'll be safe. We can't just leave her here like this, all scared and alone with torn leggings; anything could happen to her." The lieutenant just shakes his head and mouths 'no.'

"Wait!" I yell after them, "Please let me come back, I'm too scared to stay in Paris right now. If he wakes up and comes to find me, I won't be able to defend myself, I'm terrified." I sound so desperate and whiney but I want so badly to go with them. My mind is racing, I need to think of a way to get them to want to take me back, and then it hit me, "I'm a nurse! I went to nursing school for three years. I'm sure you guys are in need of that sort of thing, right? Please, I'd love to help!"

The three men look at each other and finally, after what seemed like a lifetime to me, the lieutenant sighed and nodded in defeat, "Fine, we could use a nurse, all we have is a vet and a nurse beats 'at by a hell of a lot." I may have been mistaken but I thought I saw a trace of a smile on Donowitz's lips.


	3. Fork and Knife

**I realize I had accidentally uploaded chapter 1 again, sorry! But this is chapter 3, I fixed it. I've been swamped with school work so my brain has been acting a little wonky.**

It is cold and getting darker as we are walking back to where the rest of the Basterds are. Aldo, Donny, and Smithson, as I have learned their names, say that they're staying in an abandoned building in the woods that used to be a brothel. Apparently, they had been camping around until they found this secluded building and are taking complete advantage. Most of the men have to share a room with another, with the exception of Lieutenant Aldo and Sergeant Donowitz who get their own rooms.

At this point, we have been walking in the woods for at least an hour and the heels I am wearing are killing my feet, there are sure to be blisters in the morning. They _had _let me stop by my flat so I could get some spare undergarments and food for the men, but I had forgotten shoes or socks. Aside from that, I am also visibly shaking because of how cold I am. I've always been one to get cold constantly. Despite the fact that I am freezing, I say nothing and try to hide it. I don't want the Basterds' first impressions of me to be some high-maintenance girl.

I start to rub my arms to try to deal with the cold as I glance over to Donny walking next to me. He is towering over me because of how short I am; I feel like a child next to him. He glances back at me, "Are you that cold?" I guess I wasn't hiding it too well but I shake my head no. "Sure could have fooled me." He says with a chuckle. He takes off his giant wool coat and stops walking for a second to drape it over my shoulders. "You've been through enough tonight, I'm not going to let you walk all this way while freezin' your ass off." Another chuckle. I like Donny's accent; I think it's sweet. I send a genuine smile back at him, what seemed like the first one in ages. "Thank you, Sergeant." He nods and continues to walk. I don't know how he isn't cold; he's in a wife beater. I find myself practically staring at his arms and admiring how big they are. He sees me looking and I immediately look away, finding a sudden interest in the dirt underneath my feet.

We walk for another half hour until we finally arrive at the abandoned building. As we walk inside, the men gather around on the first floor, offering me confused looks. As Aldo walks in, he speaks up, "We found this little lady in trouble tonight. Upon savin' her, she told us she is a nurse. As a favor to us for saving her pretty little behind," the men laugh, "she has decided to come and help us as our personal nurse." I redden a little at his "pretty little behind" comment and lift the corner of my mouth into a crooked smile. I raise my hand a little in an attempt to wave, but put it back down after feeling ridiculous for doing so in the first place.

The men smile back at me, some eyeing me intently. While I'm getting introduced to each man, I feel very self-conscious. Dealing with customers every day in the bistro, I started to care less about what I looked like in front of most people, figuring it didn't matter much. But now, in front of these men, I feel small and shyer than I have in years. I actually want them to like me.

Aldo introduces me to the last man of the bunch, Wilhem, who kisses my knuckles. "Now," Aldo says, turning me towards himself, "Every room is full. I suggest you either bunk with Donny or me 'cause it would be difficult to have a room with three people in it." I shrug, "Doesn't quite matter to me." Even though that's a complete lie; I'd definitely rather bunk with Donny. It isn't that I don't like Aldo; it's just how much more I seem to like Donny right now.

"Well," Donny interjects, "Whether or not the lieutenant will admit it to you, he snores all night. You won't be able to sleep a wink." I let out a little giggle as I watch Aldo's eyebrows furrow. I nod, "I guess you just made my decision for me then, Sergeant." Donny smiles at me and my stomach starts to feel tingly, a pleasant feeling I had almost forgotten.

For dinner we eat the ample amount of bread, turkey, and cheese that I brought back from my apartment. "We should save women with food more often," Smithson says with his mouth full, the others laugh. Smithson told me they always had food but didn't usually have sandwiches. They couldn't be very picky with what they ate; mostly they just took what they could get. "I'm glad I could help in some way, you three saved me from the unthinkable. I don't know what I would have done if you guys didn't show up." I give him a serious look. I wanted him to know truly how grateful I was for what they did for me. He shakes his head a little, "It was nothing. We do that sort of thing every day." We smile at each other and finish up our sandwiches.


	4. The Movement of a Hand

**So the last chapter and this one are moving a bit slow, Donny and Eloise are just getting to know each other. But, I will tell you guys that I've started chapter 5, and things go a lot faster there ;) so don't give up on me!**

Donny walks up behind me, startling me a bit, "Let's get you some clothes and shoes, you can't be walking around much longer in those heels and that dress with all these men around." He winks at me and I laugh. I get up and follow him to what he tells me is his room. "There are two pairs of shoes I found in here they're completely different sizes, but one is bound to fit you." I giggle, just because the shoes are different sizes doesn't mean they'll fit. He kneels on the floor and puts his arm underneath his bed, which is incredibly low, and pulls out one shoe, then the other. "Try this pair first, I found them when we first got here, must've been left by one of the girls who lived here before us." I try them on, the shoes are awfully hideous, these bumblebee yellow clogs with matted fur on the inside, so I'm glad when I put them on to see they don't fit. I shake my head, almost violently, "They're far too big, Sergeant." He doubles over laughing, watching me trying to walk in them.

"Alright, how about," he kneels down again, reaching under the bed to pull out black knee-high rain boots, "These! How about these?" He smiles and hands them to me. I try them on, they're a little loose but they aren't loose enough to make me trip in them. I nod, smiling, "These are perfect, thank you so much." He smiles back at me, "No problem sweetheart. It ain't like I made 'em with my own hands." I laugh, lifting my hand up to cover my mouth.

"Now for the clothes, the only person here who is anywhere close to your size is Smithson. And even he isn't that small, so his shirts and pants are gonna be a little loose on you. You are also going to need a coat, seeing as the one you are wearing doesn't keep you warm enough." I nod, "I just get cold too easily." I say, half smiling. Donny gets up from his kneeling position and walks to the door, "Smithson!" He calls out.

Within 30 seconds, Utivich comes into view. "Yes sir?" Donny gestures towards me saying, "Seeing as you're closest to Eloise's size, could you give her one of your spare shirts and pants?" It barely sounded like a question coming from him, more like a command. Utivich nods and walks back out. In about a minute, he returns with a shirt and some pants, both of which look far too large for me, and walks back out after I thank him a few times.

"Uhm, do you… want me to leave while you change?" Donny asks, sounding very awkward. I shake my head lightly, "No, if you could just turn around, that would be just fine. Unless you'd feel more comfortable leaving?" He shakes his head as well and turns around, crossing his arms. I watch Donny's back as I slide off both Donny's wool coat and my peacoat underneath. He's such a large person, but that's in the best way possible. My thoughts keep wandering so I'm taking absolutely forever to change.

"Eloise, you done yet?" I can tell he's getting impatient. "Yeah," I breathe out, "Sorry, I just got my arm stuck in the dress earlier." What a good excuse. He nods with his back still to me. I finish buttoning up the giant pants and tell him he can turn around. He immediately starts chuckling, "Those are so loose on you!" But he sees sadness in my face and quickly patches it up, "It looks cute sweetheart, don't worry." He smiles and lifts my chin up.

"Would you mind if I went to bed now? I'm so tired." I ask. He glances at the beds in the room and says, "Of course you can; you don't have to ask me. I'll wake you up if we need you." I smile and nod, once again thanking him for saving me. I get in bed and pull the small covers over me, I'm freezing cold but it'll do.

I wake up after however many hours of sleeping from a nightmare, I jerk straight up into a sitting position while gasping for air. Donny wakes up from the noise I just made, "Are you okay?" he whispers. He looks caught off guard and his hair is disheveled. "Uh, yeah." I whisper back. "I just had a nightmare. Also, I'm very cold." I say, frowning. "Alright, do you want my blanket?" He asks. I shake my head no and he falls back to sleep. I stay up for what seems like forever and finally decide to get into Donny's bed. There wasn't a thought process to it, and I felt like I was dreaming. I fall asleep the second I lay my head down on his pillow.

When I wake up, Donny isn't there anymore.

I sit up and rub my eyes, silently cursing to myself for crawling into his bed. I felt mortified. What was wrong with me? As my eyes are adjusting to the light, Aldo walks by, "Goodmornin' sleepin' beauty." I shoot a confused look Aldo's way, "Aldo, what time is it exactly?" I ask. "Around 10. We woke up hours ago but figured you didn't need to be up yet." I smile and thank him for what seems like the thousandth time in the last 24 hours.

I start my walk to the kitchen to try to find some milk. I walk out the doorway and bump into Donny. "Oh, sorry sergeant." I say, still embarrassed. He nods and walks by, without saying a word, confirming my fears. He must think me a fool for getting into his bed last night. I frown and make my way to the kitchen.

It's about three hours after the men left on some sort of mission. I guess they might need me when they're done so I wait attentively by the door. As if on cue with my thoughts, Aldo comes in with Donny, the others are trailing behind them. Donny walks up the stairs and I hear him step into his room. "Donny seems to have hurt his wrist while usin' the bat, think you could take a look at it?" Aldo whispers so Donny won't hear. "He don't think he needs any help but it's better to be safe, plus he seems to like you." He smiles at me and I shake my head, "Somehow, I highly doubt that sir." He chuckles and I get up to walk upstairs.

I walk in to see Donny sitting on the bed clutching his wrist. "Can I take a quick look at that, please?" He gives me a look of defeat and I sit down next to him. I take his wrist in my hands, which look so small in comparison to his, and carefully examine it. "You definitely haven't broken it." He lets out a sigh of relief, "Good." I try to turn his wrist and he lets out a sound that tells me he's in pain. "But, it does seem that you've sprained it. So I have to wrap it up." He nods and says, "Alright, a sprain ain't too bad." I nod and say, "Yes, but you have to go easy with that bat of yours or you could hurt yourself badly." He nods again, but something tells me he won't be too careful.

I bring some first aid supplies the men had around the house. I take out what I need to bandage his wrist up. I gingerly take his wrist into mine and begin wrapping it up. It's awkwardly quiet for a few seconds before I finally speak up, "I'm terribly sorry for climbing into your bed last night, I felt like I was dreaming. I didn't quite know what I was doing." I look up at his face to see him staring right back at me. "I was just surprised. I didn't mind." He's whispering and still looking me in the eyes.

"Again, Sergeant, I'm very so–" He cuts me off, "Why do you do that, call me Sergeant all the time? You _can _just call me Donny, you know." I look down, embarrassed, finishing up the bandaging quickly. "I'm not sure, I guess I just like calling you Sergeant." I feel my face redden. "Well then, keep calling me Sergeant. I actually like it." I look up and see he's smiling, and I smile back. "You know," Donny starts but shakes his head, "Never mind."

"What, what is it?" I hate when anyone starts to tell me something and drops it. "It's just, I don't know. You could sleep with me every night if it helps you sleep better." I giggle a little and his face reddens, "Not sleep with me like that, but you know in my bed… with me." I nod, "No it's okay, I understood what you meant. And yes, that would probably help."


	5. Closer

**So first off, I'd like to apologize for the wait. I've had so much schoolwork in the past two weeks that I haven't had much free time. I'm also sorry about how short this chapter is. I do hope you guys like it, though! I feel like I didn't write a certain scene in this chapter very well so give me some feedback! Reviews are great too! :)**

Today was eventful.

I watched Donny beat an officer today for the first time. In fact, it was the first time I had even gone out with the men on a mission. Aldo had told me to come just in case Donny hurt his wrist further; he also wanted me to catch a glimpse of what they were doing.

I had never seen anything like it. Donny in his wife beater, sweating, fierce, calm and collected before swinging, but with the swing of the bat, his emotions seemed to come flooding out of him. It was strangely attractive watching Donny's muscular arms waving the bat around. It caused a warm feeling in my stomach and chest that remained there for the rest of the evening. Donny had been giving me that feeling quite often lately.

After the whole ordeal is over, Donny walks toward the back of a tree trunk, waving his hand at Aldo – gesturing for them to move on and that he'd catch up.

"Where is he going? Are we really just leaving him here?" I ask confused. Aldo gives me a smile with a knowing look on his face, "No, he just needs to catch 'is breath, 'at's all. Why do you care so much all'a sudden anyways?" That smile is still plastered on his face. "I don't see why I have to have a reason to care about another's well being, Lieutenant. I'm not without compassion." After I say this, he offers me a questioning look – eyebrows raised, disbelief written on his face.

"Girly, I ain't assumin' you're without compassion, 'at you need to have feelings for someone to care. But, it don't take a genius to realize you got extra compassion for 'at boy." We smile at each other and I say, "What if I don't admit it anytime soon?" He looks at me in the eyes and says, "The longer you wait the longer it'll take to get you what you want. There ain't no time for wastin' time in a war girly." I smile with the corners of my mouth turned down and nod, "I see your point."

By the time we're back, it's nighttime. I wore two coats again on the walk there and back, but I'm still freezing. Although I have no idea what time it is, I'm ready to go to bed. "I'm going to go to bed, goodnight gentlemen!" I say smiling. As I'm walking up the stairs to my room, I hear Donny say goodnight as well from behind me. I smirk a little, wondering if his decision to turn in early has anything to do with mine. He enters the room right behind me and smiles, "You need me here so you can fall asleep." He says while wiggling his finger at me, as if he had read my mind, I stifle a giggle. "Well thank you Sergeant, I deeply appreciate it." He laughs and replies, "Well you know, it's my duty to save a damsel in distress."

We both take off our shoes and crawl into his bed. I put my back to his chest and wiggle closer, a heat rising in my stomach and chest as he puts his arm around me. As I think of watching Donny earlier that day, and how it made me feel the same heat, I also think of the Lieutenant's words. I flip myself over to face him and look up at Donny, his eyes watching mine intently. I rest my hand on his cheek and break our eye contact to look at his neck, and then his chest. Running my hand down to the middle of his chest, I feel his heartbeat quicken under my hand.

Almost too suddenly, Donny's hands find their way to either side of my waist and pull me up aggressively to meet his lips. He kisses me rough, then gentle, then rough again, running his fingers through my hair until they rest behind my neck. He puts his other hand behind my back, pulling me closer to him. I let out a small gasp and he offers me a cocky grin, "Let me know if I'm going too fast for you sweetheart," he whispers so close to my ear that it tickles.

As if to answer his question, I press my lips against his again, and I feel him grin into the kiss. Still grinning from ear to ear, he turns me over so I'm under him and pulls my shirt over my head. He runs his hands up my waist to my chest. As he's rubbing my breasts, he presses his forehead to mine; smirk still plastered to his face, "I did tell you I liked it when you called me Sergeant, right?" At this point, I'm going insane. My heart is beating so fast, it could jump right out of my chest. Some of my hair is covering my face from being turned over, and I'm starting to sweat. I nod meekly, "Yes, Sergeant, you did," I'm not very surprised at how shaky my voice is. He smiles even wider than before.

He quickly readjusts our position so that my back is to his chest again, and he begins rubbing me from outside of my underwear while kissing my neck. He pulls my pants down and starts to rub me from the outside of my underwear. Slowly, Donny slips his hand under and thrusts his finger into me. I let out a moan I never knew I was capable of, one that came from deep in my throat. He, almost violently, presses his lips into mine as he slips in another finger.

My back is still to him, and the feeling of his muscular form behind me while his fingers are inside me, pumping away, is driving me crazy. "Faster Sergeant, please," I beg in a whisper. He quickens his pace as he continues to kiss my neck aggressively. With one last pump, I clench around his fingers and pleasure takes over my entire body.

I'm panting and sweating more than before, and he seems to be doing the exact same thing. I turn and lay on my back, Donny is eyeing me attentively, "Goddamn, you are gorgeous. I wasn't sure how much longer I could resist you." I giggle, shaking my head, "I'm not gorgeous; if I'm so irresistible, how come you didn't have sex with me?" I ask. He gives me a serious look, "I might not know French, but Utivich knows a very small amount. He told me that you had said something about being a virgin the night that kraut tried to rape you. I don't want you to jump into having sex with me," his voice is stern. My face goes a little red and I nod. I wiggle my back into him again, and as he kisses the back of my head, I drift into sleep in the same position we started out in not thirty minutes ago.


	6. Fever

**I am so sorry it's been taking so long to upload new chapters! I had finals, had to get ready for the holidays, and then went out of town for a bit. Hope everyone has been enjoying their holidays! I solemnly swear the next chapter will come quicker than it has been taking recently. Reviews are great! :)**

When I woke up Donny was gone again. I really do wish that the men would start waking me up early; I feel like I'm missing a large portion of the day. I take a look around the room while running my fingers through my hair; I'm in desperate need of a shower. My eye catches a dress laid out on the other bed, which I recognize to be my own. It's a wide swoop-neck, knee-length dress. The dress is a deep burgundy color and the straps have a tendency to fall off of my shoulders constantly. Whatever its flaws may be, it's my favorite dress. I furrow my eyebrows; how on earth did that get there? I get up and put on my pants, blushing as I recall last night's events. I really hope Donny doesn't regret it.

I walk down the hallway and to the kitchen where Hirschberg is talking to Smithson, "I'm telling you," he says in somewhat of a low whisper, "Something happened last night. Have you seen Donowitz at all this morning? I'm telling you –" Smithson clears his throat and looks up at me. I feel so much blood rush to my face that I'm surprised I'm not fainting. Hirschberg glances over his shoulder at me from his seated position at the table, "Maybe you could clear this up for us, sugar," there's a smug tone in his voice and all I want is to slap him, but I keep my composure. "Shut the hell up Hirschberg," Smithson says with an annoyed tone in his voice. "Well I just want to know what kind of a ride she gave the Sergeant last night to make him walk around this morning like the sun shines out his ass. Maybe you could write me a similar prescription? You know, I heard you moaning last night, and I've got to say –" I reach over and slap him sharp across the face in time for Donny and Aldo to walk in.

"What's going on in here?" there's confusion written all over Aldo's face. I glare angrily at Hirschberg while he clutches his cheek. "Goddamn Donny, learn to keep your bitch on a leash," he spits and I'm even angrier than before. "The fuck did you just say?" Donny fumes as he pulls Hirschberg up by the collar of his shirt. "Donny! Put him down!" Aldo shouts. When Donny doesn't respond he practically barks, "Now, goddammit!" Donny pushes Hirschberg back so violently; I'm surprised the table he fell on to didn't collapse in on itself. "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?" Aldo says, very obviously vexed. He glances at me, wanting for an answer, "Why'd you slap him 'cross the face princess?" I look down embarrassed; I just belittled myself in front of the men by not keeping self-control. "The crazy bitch is fucking Donowitz and she got angry when I asked her about it." I could see Donny getting visibly angrier, clenching his fists while his nostrils flared. "Lieutenant, he didn't exactly word it –" Aldo interrupted me, "Hirschberg, that sort of thing ain't your business. I don't give a damn if you asked her nicely; it just ain't any of your goddamn business. Now get outside; Wicki and Stiglitz could use your help getting firewood." Hirschberg collects himself and walks out while glaring at all of us, muttering obscenities under his breath.

Aldo walks up to us as Smithson awkwardly walks out, probably aware of the subject matter about to be discussed between the three of us. "Now, I don't care if you two are going at it, I just don't want this to interfere with anything we're doing. If it starts to interfere with any of the missions, I'll have to put a stop to it," and with that he walks out of the room. There's an awkward ambience in the room and I look up, making eye contact with Donny for the first time this morning. His eyes are fixated on mine. "Do you regret last night?" he asks in a quiet, almost hurt voice. I shake my head, "No, not at all. That's not why I slapped him. He was being rude," as I say this, the corner of Donny's mouth curls into a half smile. "Then I'm glad you hit him," we both start to laugh.

"What is my dress doing here? Did someone go back to my apartment?" I ask, suddenly remembering seeing my dress this morning. Donny nods, "Wicki, Smithson, and Hirschberg went into town early this morning to bring some stuff back, mainly food."

"Didn't we already have food? I mean, I don't mind, I'm simply curious," I ask. "Yeah, well the boss says there's gonna be an addition to the team soon, some Brit that's supposed to help us meet a British spy. So we need more food. While they were at it though, I told them to bring you back some clothes you could wear," he pauses and grins at me, "I mean, you look damned lovely in everything, including that overgrown shirt and Smithson's old pants. But I figured you'd appreciate something else to wear too. They brought back a couple of your shoes too; they're behind the bed." I smile gratefully, "I really do appreciate it. By the way, is there any chance I could shower? Does the shower here work?" Donny nods, "It sure does, what do you think, the men go that long without showering. With the exception of Hirschberg, they look clean most of the time." I could tell he was going to start hating Hirschberg because of today. I giggle a little, "Well, do you think I could sneak back to my apartment in town and get some proper toiletries, then? I really miss my shampoo!" I laugh, realizing how silly I sound.

"I don't want to be high-maintenance –" "No, it's alright. I'm sure Aldo'll be fine with me taking you into town real quick. It'll be fun," he says, nudging my shoulders, "I'll go ask him now." He walks out the door to find Aldo and I sneak upstairs to put on my dress.

I slide on the dress with some black stockings I had mistakenly brought back with me the first night. As I look at my reflection in the mirror, I put up my hair so it doesn't look so messy and I see Donny walk into the room. He smirks, "I knew getting the boys to bring you back a dress would be a good idea." I smile back at him and hug him, putting my hands behind his neck, "Thank you Sergeant, I really appreciate it." His breath hitches as he looks down towards the low neckline on my dress, "Uh, yeah, let's get out of here," he says as he turns me towards the door and slaps my butt. "Hey!" I exclaim rubbing the area he hit, "Donny, that really hurt!" He cackles back at me as he urges me through the door, "Fine, I won't do it so hard next time," he whispers in my ear and I smile as chills go down my spine. This should be an interesting trip into town.


	7. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

**I am _so _sorry I haven't updated in so long! I had a bad case of writer's block for a bit and then focussed more on other things I'm currently writing. I hope you guys like it. I have an idea of things I want to happen, I just need to know how to get the story there. For everyone who has kept reading, thank you! Reviews are still amazing and always make me want to come out with new material quicker! :) As per usual, italics are used when the characters are speaking a language other than English - in this chapter's case, French.**

Donny and I went into town today to get all sorts of things. Within minutes of being in town, I bought him an ascot cap that he immediately put on and pulled low over his eyes. We were walking towards my apartment when he slid his hand into mine. Just as he did, he looked at me from below his cap to see my reaction. He beamed at me when he saw I was smiling too.

"Sergeant, would it be okay if we snuck to the bistro after getting everything we need?" I paused while examining his face, "You don't have to come with me. It's just that Anja and Marie, the women who worked there with me, are two of my nearest and dearest friends. I just don't want them to worry about me." His breath comes out in a cloud as he lets a big breath out, "You won't tell them where you are or who you're with, will ya?" I shake my head, "No, no, of course not. I just want to tell them not to worry about me. They have always been there for me and I don't want to keep them completely in the dark. Of course you and your men will stay out of it; it is not my place to tell anyone." He nods, "Sounds fine by me, sweetheart."

I look up at him as we approach the shop I always go to for bread, "Where exactly did you get that accent, Sergeant?" I ask as I noticed the way he said sweetheart as if there was no r. He chuckles a little, "Boston, it's on the east coast of the States. Lived there my whole life." We walk into the store together since it's fairly secluded. "Do you miss it very much?" He looks down and sighs, "Of course I do, but what I'm doing here is more important than that. I just hope I'll live long enough to see it again." My breath hitches in my throat and I can feel my eyes water a little as I wonder how often not just Donny, but all of the Basterds have thought about whether or not they'd make it home alive. "You men are something magnificent, you know that? Never forget it either. You guys are putting your lives on the line to end a terrible war." He traces my jaw with his finger and then cups my face, "Don't you worry your pretty little face what will happen to us girly. You're helping us out too, especially me, and don't you forget that, " he kisses me gently on the lips. I knew I wasn't helping very much. None of the men had really needed my assistance. I would mostly just clean little cuts and wrap them up, it's nothing they couldn't have done without me. But I knew Donny was just trying to make me feel better. It's not that I _wanted _the men to get hurt badly; I just wish I could be more useful is all.

The rest of the day was basically me rushing into stores and buying groceries while Donny waited in alleyways and tried to steer away from being seen. Afterwards, we stopped by my apartment. He climbed in through my window right behind me and I gasped as he put both hands on my butt. "Did I catch you off guard?" Whenever he whispers in my ear it sends chills down my spine, and it's not due solely to my ear being ticklish. "A little," I whimper which earns me a chuckle from Donny. "Yeah?" he says while pushing up against me and rubbing my thighs, testing his boundaries. "We should… get going. I don't want the men to get worried." He turns me around and stares me down so intensely I feel like my heart might just hop right off my chest. "Who says they'll get worried. I told them not to wait around," he traces my jaw with his finger. "You know the Lieutenant will get worried," I say as Donny cups my face and rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. "Let him get worried then," as the last word leaves his lips he pulls me up and pushes my back into the wall. I wrap my legs around his waist and realize this is the first time our eyes are at level with each other. I try to steady my breathing and can feel Donny's heavy breath on my face. "Sergeant –" I start but he cuts me off, "You do realize calling me Sergeant is only going to make me want you more," I blush and smile. "No one is here, you can be as loud as you'd like," and he's right, we are alone. Just as my thoughts wander and I'm about to give in, there's a knock on my door. "Shit!" I whisper, "Donny, just hide in the closet in my room, okay?" He nods silently while quietly walking to my bedroom, never once taking his eyes off of my front door. Someone knocks again, "_Eloise… Ella-Bella, are you in there?_" Ella-Bella is a nickname Anja gave me a long time ago. A huge wave of relief washes over me even though her voice sounds frantic, "_Anja, is that you_?" I put my ear to the door and I hear a second voice that most likely belongs to Marie.

"_Yes Eloise, now open the door!_" I swing the door open and the girls rush in.  
>"<em>Where the hell have you been?"<em> Marie starts, "_We were worried sick!_" It's only been about a week but I understand their feeling worried, I'm always punctual and never miss work without them knowing why.

"_We came by every day to see if you were here! We were so worried –_" before Marie can finish, Anja cuts her off, "_We were worried that something had happened to you! The last time we saw you was right before your date,_" she paused and took a minute to look me in the eyes – searching my face for an answer, "_We were afraid he had done something to you,_" she whispered. I shook my head, "_No, no. Not quite._" It was difficult not to just let everything spill, but it wasn't my secret to tell.

"_I'm sorry,_" I say, as they both look up from the ground. "_Don't be sorry, just tell us where you were and what happened to you,_" Marie says, "_That man August came by about three days after your date, his head was bandaged up really bad. In fact, he comes in almost every day now. He asked if we had seen you –_" Anja cuts her off again, "_When we said no, he told us not to tell authorities or get too worried. He said when you told him how badly you wanted to go to Germany but couldn't afford it, he bought you a train ticket there. We knew he was lying; you would never take charity like that. Especially from someone you loathed as much as him. But we were too afraid of him to say anything; we just kept coming back here looking for you, hoping you would show up. So tell us… what the hell happened?_"

Anja didn't even sound angry anymore, just worried. I racked my brain for anything I could tell them, I needed to think of something fast. "_Girls, all I can tell you is that something went wrong that night we were supposed to go on our date,_" I pause, waiting for some sort of reaction, but they just look like they're searching me for some deeper answer.

"_The night we went to the movies, August tried to rape me,_" this earns me a collective gasp from both girls, "_Before he could do it, someone came to my rescue. I was so afraid of him coming after me that I practically fled the scene. I wasn't sure if he was still alive, but I didn't want to take a chance. I guess I've been kind of hiding out since then… I don't know what he'll do to me once he finds out where I am, so I'm trying to lay low. I'm so sorry I haven't called you two to tell you, I was going to stop by later today to tell you not to worry… I honestly was._" They seem to believe me, although they still had a quizzical look on their faces. I didn't technically lie; I just was keeping the Basterds out of this. Like I said, not my secret to tell.

"_Who saved you?_" Marie says so quietly, her voice cracked. I debated in my head what to say – should I lie, or should I tell them blatantly that I can't tell them?

"_This is going to be hard to hear, but I can't talk about who it was that saved me. I really don't want to lie to you two, so I'll be honest. I can't tell you just yet. But I promise, once the time is right, I'll tell you two everything._" I love these girls to death; I can't lie to them and have them find out later that I lied. "_But if you guys run into August, please tell him you guys still haven't seen me, alright?_" They both nod, Marie still looking a little hurt that I didn't tell them who the prince that had come to my rescue was.

Thinking of the "prince," I suddenly remember that poor Donny is probably still hiding in my closet. My closet is big, but certainly not big enough to make a man the size of Donowitz feel comfortable. I rush the girls out, promising them I'll sneak by the bistro more often and to go about their business. I hug them both and quickly lock the door. I quickly walk to my room, and upon opening my closet, come face-to-chest with Donny. He looks down at me and his eyebrows go up, "Are they gone?" I nod in response, "It was just the girls I used to work with at the bistro – they were worried."

"What did you tell them?"

"Just that August tried to rape me and someone came to my rescue, but that I couldn't tell them who it was," Donny nods, walking out of the closet. "Oh, and they said August comes by the bistro constantly, his head is still bandaged. He made up some story about how he paid for me to go to Germany because of how badly I said I wanted to go. I think he knows they don't believe him, but that they're too scared to question it or report me as missing."

"That's fuckin' weird, but I'm glad he's still bandaged up. Although, I was hoping he would've died."

We both laugh a little too hard. It wasn't very funny; it was just a true statement. We both know this, but I think he can sense that I'm a little worried since he's still around. Especially since he's hanging around my friends, trying to get answers out of them. "It'll be alright, princess," he pulls me in and kisses my forehead. "You're with us, I don't think he'll be expectin' to find the Basterds when he's looking for you," I smile back at him now, feeling a little more relieved. He was right; men who scared the shit out of most German soldiers surrounded me. He isn't going to get a group of ten or so men to come with him when he's looking for me… right?


	8. Sowing Season

**I'd like to apologize to the readers for how seldom I update, unbeknownst to anyone else, I had a lot of trouble with the pace of this chapter. I have a lot of plans for what will happen in this story, I wasn't sure what to add in yet and what to hold off a bit longer. I've had most of this chapter (minus the last couple of paragraphs) written for over a month but I was having an internal struggle with how much to give away at this point in the story. I guarantee I have some things in future chapters that will leave you at the edge of your seat and I can't wait to add it all in! Also, if you guys haven't noticed by now, all of my chapters are named after song/album titles - I did so for a reason. I really hope some of my readers will catch onto the deeper meaning behind the names.**

**Just a reminder, reviews only make me want to put out the next chapter sooner :) I'd love to see what you all think of this chapter!**

I look down at my feet, my shoes making pleasant crunching noises as they walk across the forest floor. I'm wearing a crimson dress with three-quarter sleeves and a deep scoop neckline, making my chest jut out a little. It's my favorite dress of the bunch I had brought back with me from my apartment today. As Donny's hand finds its way to the small of my back, my throat closes up a little; August's hands gaining a vice grip on my neck through my thoughts. Donny hooks his arm around my side and pulls me in to kiss the top of my head, "It'll be okay," he lets me go and drifts a little to his side, resulting in a little more physical distance between us. The building is in our view now, probably just under a kilometer away. "We should probably tell the Lieutenant that the kraut is still alive." I nod and offer, "I'll do it if you want." He nods back.

When we walk in, Hirschberg and Wicki are sitting at the table, sharpening their knives while Lieutenant Raine is reading something across from them. Hirschberg stops speaking the minute we walk in and walks out of the room. I place my bag full of belongings down on the table and Aldo looks up at me. Before he can say anything I croak out, "August is still alive… and well. And he's harassing my friends at the café I used to work at." He raises his eyebrows as I tell him of my encounter with the girls. "He's telling everyone I went out of town but he's been looking for me. I'm really scared," at the last word my voice cracks. "Don't worry, you're safe here with us. Even if he does come find you, we're here." Aldo looks in thought at a point beyond my shoulder, almost looking as if he's somewhere else.

"Girly, what'd you say to luring him in for us?" The second that sentence left his lips Donny's eyes caught on fire and his facial expression dropped. As he opens his mouth in protest Aldo speaks again, "Now Donowitz, before you start maulin' my head off, think about it. She doesn't have to do it, but we do need answers from 'im. Answers we may've gotten earlier had he not been knocked out cold –"  
>"What, should I've let him rape her so we could get a few fucking answers?" Donny's voice rises in volume and aggression with each word.<p>

"Now listen Donny, I never said –"  
>"Stop yelling… please," my voice is quiet, but somehow it was heard. Aldo's eyes meet mine and his voice softens, "Elle, sweetheart, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, we could probably get 'im here without using you as some sort of bait. If you don't want to do it, I'll understand."<br>"I'll do it." Donny's eyes lock on mine, "No you won't." His voice sounds stern but I shake my head, "I want to, though. I owe you men a lot; this is the least I can do." He shakes his head furiously, "No. He could seriously hurt you. I don't want that on our shoulders… on my shoulders. You don't owe us anything," I search his eyes for a moment and take a breath, "But I do, Donny. If it wasn't for you, I would have been raped and probably beaten to death."

"So you want to run back so he can do all of that? I can't let you do that."  
>It's silent a moment before Aldo speaks again, "You don't have to make the decision right now. If you decide not to, it would be alright. I was just making a proposition."<br>"Yeah, a shitty one." Donny spits out. "Sergeant –" Aldo starts, an edge in his voice.

I put my hands on Donny's arm and make a move to pull him aside. My eyes lock onto Aldo's to let him know I've got this. He follows me upstairs into our room and I look him in the eyes for a while before starting.

"Sergeant," echoing Aldo with a softer tone, "I owe this to you. I promise I'll be careful. I won't do anything without confronting you first. It'll be by your rules, ok?" As much as the thought of pulling August in terrifies me, I feel obliged to. Donny's expression is soft, almost vulnerable, a face I've never seen him wear before. "The Lieutenant said you don't have to make your decision now, right?" I nod, "Well then give me some time to decide, please?" I nod again, "Of course, but do realize that if you decide against it, I'm only going to keep pushing until you give in." He smiles, "Sweetheart, that'd be like a pebble hitting a boulder. Not only am I not gonna budge, I'll force you in the other direction." I gasp, feigning anger, "Sergeant, that better not be a joke about my size." With that he swings me over his shoulder and walks towards the bed and places me down, speaking in between kisses, "Girly, you might as well be a pebble – you're so tiny." I'm about to kiss him back when we hear Wicki's voice from the first floor, "We need some help down here, Hirschberg cut his palm wide open trying to open a can."

I sigh and look up at Donny, "That'll be for me." He offers me an amused expression and repositions himself on his side next to me, motioning towards the door, "Just try not to hit him again," I get up and walk towards the door as he calls out, "Not that I would mind." I laugh and make my way down the stairs to see Hirschberg sitting at the table, clutching his wrist.

"They left stuff for you to use," he croaks out, his face is pale from the pain. He motions to supplies on the kitchen table. I eye his wound; it's a fairly deep cut. I sterilize the needle and thread it, then sterilize the cut. He lets a small hissing noise, like a balloon losing air. "How on Earth did you cut yourself this deep?" I whisper, almost to myself. "The knife slipped when I was trying to open a can, I guess I'm a lot stronger than I thought 'cause it cut pretty deep," I nod, half listening. "Okay, so this is going to hurt. I'm sorry in advance," he nods back at me, seemingly bracing himself for the pain as I start to stitch him up. "What's your first name, Private?" I ask, trying to take his mind off of the needle weaving through his skin. "It's Gerald. What's your last name soldier?" he asks, mocking my tone. "It's Boulanger, it means baker in French." He nods, staying quiet as I finish the last stitch. "That wasn't so bad. Thanks," he says, cradling his hand in the other. "That's what I'm here for," I smile at him. "Just be careful with that hand, you don't want to irritate the skin around the wound."

"Look, I'm uh… I'm sorry about earlier. That wasn't really my business, not sure why I was being such a prick about it." I'm totally caught off-guard by his apology, I would have never expected it given his character. "It's alright, we all say things we wish we could take back." He smiles at me and half nods, getting up and leaving the room as I clean up the supplies. As I clean the needle and put it back in the cabinet, I feel a pair of hands slide from my back to my hips.

Donny rests his chin on my temple, "He give you any trouble?" I shake my head, "Don't worry. Even if he had, I can take care of myself." Donny chuckles at my response, "Yeah, I saw that last time. When you hit him." I wipe my hands on a towel and turn around to face him, "Besides, he apologized." This statement earns me a look of disbelief on Donny's face, "Yeah? And how'd ya get an apology out of him?"

"I didn't hit him again, if that's what you're implying. He just came right out and said he was sorry."

"Hmm," he shrugs. "Are you tired?"

"A little," I say, going towards the window and pulling back the thick black curtain, "I hadn't realized it was this dark out already."

It was pitch-black outside, how had I not noticed that much time go by? "Well I'm exhausted. Want to head to bed?" He asks, placing both hands on either side of my hips and pushing them from side to side slowly. "Sounds good to me." With one swift motion, he lifts me over his shoulder, patting my bottom lightly. He starts up the stairs chuckling, "You're not even gonna put up a fight?" I shake my head before remembering he couldn't even see my head, "Well, you're going to get your way either way, aren't you Sergeant?" He exhales a laugh that I feel reverberate through my chest, "You're finally gettin' the hang of it, sweetheart." I roll my eyes, glad that he wasn't able to see my facial expression at the moment. We got to our room and he placed me on the bed gingerly.

"You know, for a pretty girl you're pretty sane," he pushes a lock of hair behind my ear.

"What –"

"I just mean… well most girls I meet are either sane or beautiful. It's like all the looks go to their heads, if that makes any sense. All the beautiful women that I've met in my life, except for you, have been bonkers."

"Why thank you Sergeant. You know," I pause, brushing a lock of his hair behind his ear, mocking him almost, "You're pretty gentle for a bear."

"Well I could be less gentle if you'd like." He grins, running his hands up my sides, roughly pushing me higher up on the bed. With his face buried in my chest, he pins my arms above my head. I feel his shaky breath on my neck as he moves his face closer to mine. He starts nibbling on my neck, sending chills down my spine and starting a fire throughout my entire body.

He suddenly pulls back, leaving me breathless. My mouth is agape and my brows furrow, I'm trying to think of something to say when he intercepts with a laugh, "I need some self-control, y'know. Your first time isn't going to be like this." I let out a sad laugh, "What, will it be more special Sergeant?" I ask in a sarcastic tone. "You and I know fully well that there won't be time for special moments anytime soon." He sighs, "You're damn right your first time will be better than that, how do you know it won't?" I heave a sigh of disapproval, incredibly agitated with him for working me up so much.

"How 'bout you tell me about yourself?"

"Well, what would you like to know?"

"Tell me about your childhood,"

"That's quite a broad subject, but I'll oblige." I say as he lies on his side next to me. "I was born and raised in Orléans, a city just South of Paris. I had an older sister, Chloé, who's four years older than I. Both my parents were scholars, my father a doctor and my mother a former nurse. My mother only stopped working after Chloé was born. There used to be these wonderful days where my entire family would sit in a room together, sprawled across the couches and the rugs with our bodies contorted in odd positions, and just read books all day. From early in the morning until well past nightfall. My parents always put emphasis on the importance of schooling, reading, and intellect. After all, they were the ones who taught me two languages before my 10th birthday. My parents were both brilliant.

"For the most part, my childhood was sunny; better than any child could ask for. On days that the sun would grace us with its presence, my sister and I would spend playing all types of games in the grass. And rainy days, which we loved equally, were mostly spent reenacting stories from our beloved books in the living room while our parents sat and watched, clapping and cheering at appropriate times. Every mood the sky happened to be in was used to our advantage. Even the warmest nights when I thought I might evaporate into the night sky, my mother used to rub soft circles into my palm until I would fall asleep. Those were the nights I learned to love the extreme heat, solely because it brought my mother to me at all times of the night." After a pause and a soft sigh I continue, "I was a very lucky girl."

My throat feels tight, as if my windpipe has decided to put me out of my misery and close up from the inside. For as much as I am burning on the inside, I show no sign of melancholy externally. I look over to Donny, whose eyes were patiently waiting for me to look up into them.

"If your childhood was so great, why do you sound the way you do?"

"It's just that things were so much simpler back then, this war wasn't going on, my family was in one piece, I wasn't alone in the world."

"You're not alone in the world now though, are ya sweetheart?" He whispers, raising his thumb to my cheek to rub away a tear that had escaped my eye unnoticed. I push my face deeper into his palm and, with my throat still closed up, I muster a "no" in a broken voice.

"It's just that I miss my parents and my sister very much. I never really talk about them anymore because of the way I feel when I do."

"You'll get to see them after the war's over though, won't ya?"

I shake my head, focusing my eyes on the mattress under me and offer another barely audible "no."

"That's a story for another day Donny, I don't want to talk about it now, if that's alright with you."

"Sure sweetheart," he pulls me into his chest and places a kiss on the top of my head, rubbing circles in my palm until I allow myself to drift to sleep.


	9. Slow Hands

**A/N: Hey there, guys! I'm incredibly sorry it's taken me so long to update. I was out of the US for a good portion of my summer and didn't have much time to write. I would really love to see some reviews! I promise, the more reviews I get, the quicker chapters go up. And I haven't been getting really any lately :c Let me know what you guys think of this chapter! :)**

"It's not like I can slip August a note telling him to meet me here, practically in the middle of nowhere. None of the plans we're thinking of are any good," I huff and brush some of my hair behind my ear. "Well maybe we'd have thought of something by now if it weren't for Donowitz," Aldo says, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

The past few days, Aldo and I have been attempting to think of a way to trap August and bring him back. It's been particularly difficult focusing when every time we try to develop a plan, Donny finds a way to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Speak of the devil," Aldo says gruffly as Donny comes into view through the kitchen window. "So, when is the new addition coming in?" I ask the Lieutenant as Donny walks in. Of course, Aldo and I had already had this conversation – I just needed a successful subject change. "Should be around 4 in the AM tomorrow. We're fully ready for him. He'll be staying in my room since I'm the only one without a roommate." The new addition would be a British lieutenant, and the men have been talking about his arrival for weeks. "He'll be dropped off by plane to a base a ways from here – we'll bring him back from there. Figure it'll be a two-hour trek each way. So we'll be gone for around four hours and some change." Donny sits down at the kitchen table and pulls me onto his lap, bouncing me with his knees a little. "So who's going with you?" I ask, my voice bouncing up and down from Donny jiggling me. "Basically all my men… except the Sergeant here." Aldo's voice trails off as Wicki walks in with what looks like a map in his hand.

"Looks like we'll be home alone most of the night babe," I can't see Donny's face from my position on his lap, but I know he's grinning ear-to-ear as he says this. "Mmhm," I coo back at him. He slips his arm around my belly and pulls me in closer to him. I glance over at Aldo, who's still talking to Wicki about whatever they're both looking at.

His lips are pressed to my ear, "Are you excited?"  
>"Should I be?" I tease. He nods slowly in response, a dark look in his eyes.<br>"Tell me Sergeant, what should I be excited for?"  
>"Well I've got you all to myself for a few hours, and I've already started planning how we'll be spending most of the night,"<br>"Oh?"  
>"And I think you'll love what I have in mind."<p>

With that, he slides me off his lap, gives my backside a light pat, and walks off towards the stairs. My face feels hot and I smirk, wondering what he's planning. "Elle," I snap out of my trance to see Aldo standing behind me, "We'll be leaving soon. I know it's only midnight but we gotta get a head start, just in case we encounter any unexpected obstacles on our way." I nod, absent-mindedly straightening out the bottom of my dress. "Now look, I know you'll have some alone time with Donny, but I do need you to do something for me," I look up into Aldo's patient eyes, "I'll need you to convince him to help us figure out a plan for bringing August in. It's only hurtin' us when all he does is interrupt and shove the conversation in every direction but the way we need it to go." I nod, " Hopefully I'll get him to loosen up a bit about the situation altogether, maybe he'll have some good ideas."

-xxxxx-

Before Aldo closed the door behind him he said, "I know Donny will try to steer you off topic and it'll be… tempting to let him, but this is important and you need to make sure he gets the picture."

Right after the door closes, Donny runs down the stairs, "Is everyone gone?" He looks overjoyed – his hair mussed up and a wide grin on his face. "Yes," a tone of uncertainty in my voice, "What are you grinning at?" He smirks back at me, "What d'ya think I'm smiling at?"

I shrug in response, "Did the Lieutenant give you a kiss goodbye?"  
>"You think you're really funny, huh?" I giggle wildly as he lifts me up over his shoulder, placing his hand on my butt and squeezing lightly.<br>"I don't _think_ Sergeant, I _know_!"  
>"To think I planned out a whole fancy night to woo you!"<br>My giggling abruptly stops, "You did?"  
>"Yeah, I guess I did," he places me back on my feet and softly kisses me, "If you agree to not make another crack about the lieutenant and me, I can still show you."<br>"I guess I can oblige," I smile up at him.  
>"Alright, then go sit upstairs until I call you back down."<br>I start to walk up the stairs and he calls after me, "And change into something nice."

-xxxxx-

"Alright sweetheart, come back down."

All I heard for about forty minutes was clanking and Donny cursing from downstairs. While I was waiting, I changed into a dark blue silky dress that comes to just above my knee with a plunging neckline in the back and golden buttons down to my butt. I make my way down the stairs, a wonderful smell filling my nose. When I step into the kitchen I see the table, the old faded wood now hidden under a thick white lace. Sitting on the white cloth I see two candles among the plates and silverware. He carefully lights the candles and offers me a goofy grin, pulling my chair out he says, "Please sit, mademoiselle." His pronunciation of mademoiselle threatens to send me into a fit of laughter, but I hold it in because he might think I am laughing _at _him when really, I just think it's adorable. I sit down, smiling politely at him as he takes his seat. "So what is the main dish tonight sir?" He responds with a huff, "Aw man, hold on a second, I forgot something!" I stifle a giggle as he practically falls out of his chair and heads for the sink. He sticks his head in the cupboard and reemerges with two cups and a tall glass bottle with "1937 Chateau Margaux" written on the label.

He sets the cups down and begins to pour, "Sorry, I tried but I couldn't get my hand on wine glasses."  
>I look at him disbelievingly, "Donny, don't apologize, this is wonderful! How on earth did you get your hands on red wine though, <em>le grand vin<em> Chateau Margaux no less?"  
>"Well the men and I raided this officer's house about a week ago. We were only supposed to see if we could get our hands on certain papers, but then I saw the wine. I wasn't originally going to take it, but the officer walked in on us rummaging through his shit so we couldn't let him go. After we finished, I took the wine and the tablecloth," he takes a long sip of wine and continues, "As for the candles, I actually bought those in town the day I went with you back to your apartment, I just snuck them by you."<p>

I look at the table and my heart swells, "You've been planning this for some time haven't you?" I couldn't stop smiling if I wanted to. "Well I've wanted to do something like this since the night you crawled into my bed in the middle of the night, maybe even before. But I didn't actually start planning until I saw that wine. I figured we'd be alone eventually, even if it is for only a few hours." I run my fingers over the white lace on the table to put my hand over his. "You've wanted to make me dinner since before then?" A soft smile plays on his lips and he looks down at our hands, "It's not that I've wanted to make you dinner. It's just," his brows furrow and I can tell he's searching for the right words in his head, "All I wanted to do was make you smile. I can't explain it, but from the night you came back with us… I mean you don't know how happy I was that first morning when I woke up with you wrapped in my arms. I thought someone had played a trick on me and snuck you into my bed while we were both asleep. I mean, the men could tell I felt a certain way about you. That's why I was so grumpy when I first saw you that morning, I thought you were upset that –" I press my finger to his lips, he was starting to talk incredibly fast. I lean in and kiss him lightly on the lips. "You're very sweet Donny, I can't tell you how happy I am that things happened the way they did." He smiles and gets up to get a big silver bowl and a breadbasket. When he sets them both down, I see that he's made soup. "I'm glad too, sweetheart," he leans down and kisses my forehead.

We start to eat, and the soup is delicious. We talk a little about how it's his mother's recipe and he could barely remember it, but he somehow pulled through. We drink the decadent red wine as he tells me a little about Boston and his family. Unfortunately, it seems that the pleasant conversation wouldn't last long – he quickly swallows the bread in his mouth with a sense of urgency, "Mmm, before I forget, the lieutenant said there was something you needed to talk to me about tonight?" My heart drops, the night is going so well and I don't want to ruin it with talk of August. "Perhaps now isn't the best time Sergeant, let's finish this wonderful dinner first." I smile at him, but I don't think it's working. "No, 'cause then I'll just be worried the entire time. Just say it real quick and we can be done with it." He seemed more content about my bringing August in before, but it seemed that as more time passed, the more he was against it. I sigh, hoping this won't ruin our few hours alone.

"Well," I start with a bad feeling creeping in my stomach, "You need to stop changing the subject when we talk about August." I watch Donny carefully as he clenches his fists a little; he isn't looking me in the eyes. After a moment's pause, I continue in the softest voice I can muster, "Aldo and I are trying to think of a plan to benefit us all but you're making it difficult. We really just need your help to come up with a good plan. I know it's difficult for you to–"  
>"To what? Think of a plan to get my girl into the hands of a psychopath so she can <em>maybe<em> bring him back to us? So she can risk being beaten and raped for the _possibility _of him coming back here? No, it's a little more than difficult for me and I'm not going to do it,"  
>"Donny please –"<br>"I said no!" His voice is booming so loud, I swear I can feel vibrations in my chest. He stands up and turns his back to me, running his hands through his hair, "You want to risk your life? Well I guess I can't tell you what to do, but one thing's for damn sure – I ain't gonna help you do this," his voice cracks as he says this. "Donny," I put my hand on his shoulder and he snaps around, "Listen, if you want to do this, I can't stop you. But you're fucking crazy if you think I'm going to practically gift-wrap my girlfriend for some Nazi fuck."

I place my hand on his chest to calm him down and I can feel his heart hammering underneath my palm. In a sudden movement, he grabs both of my shoulders and pulls me in, crashing his lips into mine. One of his hands slides down to the small of my back while the other rushes up to cup the back of my head. His tongue invades my mouth as he pushes me roughly backwards into the wall. Although I'm taken off guard, I let my hands roam under his shirt, over the muscles of his chest, and to his back. He grinds his hips into mine and I mew into his ear in response. I wrap my legs around his waist and he carefully walks up the stairs with me clinging to him and his lips pressed to mine. I roll off his shirt as we enter our room, leaving his lips only for a fraction of a second. He puts me on the bed and towers over me, the look in his eyes alone is driving me crazy with lust. He dives in to kiss my neck, his teeth grazing my skin. "Flip over," he growls into my ear. I turn over onto my stomach and feel his rough hands lightly trail over the part of my back left exposed by the plunging neckline. He nibbles on my neck again as he starts to unbutton my dress as slowly as he possibly can. I turn back over once he's finished and push my head up to kiss him. He pulls the dress off of me and cups my breasts in his hands. He begins to trail kisses down my neck and stops once he reaches my chest. I can feel his warm breath on my nipples as he lingers there. He takes one of my peaks into his mouth as he starts kneading the other in his palm. I gasp and moan, grabbing hold of his hair while writhing underneath him.

He brings his head up to look me in the eyes. "Donny," I breathe out, "I need you. Please." He responds by kissing me roughly, "I need you too," he says into my lips. Everything about this moment is making me want Donny something fierce – his stubble against my skin, hot breath on my face, his hips grinding into mine, and the steamy look he's giving me. "Let me give myself to you," I whisper into his lips. His face softens, completely changing his rough demeanor. He looks down towards my stomach and back up into my eyes, "Are you sure?" I nod. He looks uncertain, like he's debating it heavily in his head. "Donny, I'm begging you. I've never wanted anything more." He cups my face in both hands and gives me a look that makes my heart flutter. I start to undo his belt slowly as he slides my underwear off. He unbuttons and unzips his pants and slowly kicks them off, followed by his underwear. I can feel his muscular thighs against mine; they feel warm against my skin. He kisses my jaw line and places himself at my entrance, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. He gingerly places his hands on my hips, "Ready?" his voice is soft, comforting. "Yes," I reply meekly after a few seconds of silence. He kisses me softly and quickly pushes in. I gasp out in pain and feel hot tears wash down my cheeks. I knew it was going to hurt, but he wasn't doing me any favors being as big as he is. "You okay baby?" he whispers as he wipes my tears with his thumbs. I nod, a fresh round of tears threatening to roll down my face. After a few moments, he starts pumping in and out slowly. "Tell me if you want me to stop," his voice is soft and comforting. I shake my head, "Keep going." He presses his lips to mine and rolls his hips forward slowly. "God, you're so fucking tight," he groans against my neck. He starts to trail kisses from my jaw down, the stubble on his face brushing against my neck again. This time when he pumps in, I let out a small moan, the pleasure starting to override the pain. "Is this good?" he whispers into my ear, sending chills down my spine. "Mmm faster," I mumble, running my fingers through his hair. He quickens his pace – not enough to make the pain greater but enough to make me let out another moan, this time much louder.

"Yeah?" he says, quickening his pace even more. I wrap my legs around his waist, bringing my hips up to meet his, matching his thrusts. Donny moans, grabbing my hips and dictating my motions. There is still a sting of pain, but I eagerly bring my hips to his, moaning loudly as he crashes into me over and over again. We're both panting and sweaty as he lifts my bottom half up by my waist, lifting himself up onto his knees. One of his hands is gripping my hip and the other moves up to work on my breasts. He cups one and uses his thumb to run over the nipple. "Fuck! Sergeant that feels so good," just as I say this, his eyes lock onto mine, burning with lust. He brings my bottom half back down and holds himself up by his arms; his weight feels magnificent on top of me. He brings his forehead to mine; his eyes are dark and intimidating, but sexy all the same. "Come on baby you can do better than that, moan louder for me," with that he pumps in faster and harder causing me to let out an almost involuntary moan, "That's it baby, that's it," his voice is cocky, matching the grin on his face. As a feeling began to rise up in me, the pain didn't seem to matter anymore, "Fuck, Donny I think I'm about to come," I bring my hands up to grip his arms and they flex under my touch. "Come for me," he moans. I climax around him, which seems to send him over the edge as well; he pulls out and comes all over my stomach.

He presses his forehead to mine again and I can feel his heavy breath on my cheeks. "Fuck," Donny breathes out, "Oh shit, sorry sweetheart," he's looking down at my stomach. He's still breathing heavily as he grabs a handful of the sheets and wipes my stomach off. I reach up and run my finger along his stubbly jaw line, "It's okay," I let out a small laugh and watch his serious expression as he makes sure nothing is left. He sets the sheet down and cups my face with one hand, rubbing my cheek with his thumb. His dark eyes set on mine and I can tell he's tired. He lies down next to me and wraps his arm around my waist and I feel my eyelids get heavy. I rest my head on his chest and it takes only moments for me to fall asleep.


	10. Something Vague

**I realize it takes me far too long to upload/write new chapters, and that's difficult to deal with as a reader. So I'd like to apologize profusely and say a big thank you to the people who will continue to read my story even though I'm a total ass-hat when it comes to new material. Exciting things are to come after this chapter, so I apologize if it seems as if not much is going on. Enjoy :)**

I wake with a start.

I'm still wrapped around Donny and he's still fast asleep, but there's a heavy sound of footsteps downstairs. It's got to be at least ten men. It takes me a moment to realize that it's probably just the lieutenant and the rest of the men and that Donny and I spent a bulk of our time alone asleep. I jump out of bed to put some clothes on before someone can burst in to see me like this. I slide my dress back on and become painfully aware of the stinging sensation between my legs. I yank the sheets off of Donny and start nudging him wildly, "Donny, they're back! Come on, wake up!" He doesn't open his eyes at all; he just pulls the covers back up and grabs one of my hands, attempting to pull me back in. I huff impatiently and get up, walking out of the room and closing the door behind me. I can hear the men downstairs drinking what's left of the wine and eating what's left of the bread. "Elle! Come here darlin'," Aldo calls out from downstairs. I take a quick look in the mirror, comb my wild hair up into a messy bun, put on a little bit of lipstick, and practically trip over myself on the way down the stairs from my nervousness – I don't want another incident like the one with Hirschberg. I reach the bottom of the stairs and my face and Aldo's chest collide. I groan and cradle my head, "Sorry Lieutenant," Aldo just responds with a chuckle and motions to the next room, "Come in the kitchen and meet Lieutenant Hicox." I follow him in and see everyone crowded around the table; most are fingering the white lace with a funny look on their face.

I walk up to the new face, a handsome face at that, and introduce myself, "I'm Eloise," I offer him my hand to shake. He kisses my knuckles much in the way Wicki did the day I met him, only his lips linger a bit longer, "Lieutenant Archie Hicox," his voice is smooth like honey, but I quickly pull my hand back. "Where's Serge?" Aldo asks, putting his hand on my back. "He's asleep, I tried to wake him up but no such luck," some off the men laugh. "Elle, the back of your dress is open," Aldo whispers while pulling back a loose flap of my dress and I feel the blood rush to my cheeks – I forgot to button up my dress. "_Merde,_" I whisper, reaching up for the loose flaps on the back of my dress as I briskly walk out of the kitchen. I walk into the next room and feel rough fingers on my back and realize someone is buttoning up my dress. I turn my head a little to see Wilhem behind me, working slowly at buttoning me back up. "Sorry," I mutter out, barely above a whisper. "Don't be embarrassed," he says with a light laugh. "Could I ask you for a favor, though?" Wicki asks in a soft voice while buttoning the last button, "Please explain to me what the sergeant is doing asleep when he has you and the house all to himself." I feel my face get hot again and look down at my feet. As if on cue, Donny comes down the stairs, I follow him into the kitchen. He shakes hands with Hicox, and sits down, pulling me onto his lap. Hirschberg starts asking Donny about the wine, and as soon as he starts asking what we did for four whole hours with the house to ourselves, I feel like I need to get out of the room.

My panic doesn't go unnoticed by Hirschberg, who offers me an apologetic look for bringing the subject up. I pipe up, "We had a nice dinner, but it looks like you guys finished most of it for us," the men laugh collectively, some with pieces of bread still in their mouths. Aldo pulls up a chair across from Donny and me, eyeing us carefully. "Did Eloise talk to you?" the lieutenant asks. Donny nods, looking agitated. "And?" Aldo asks, drawing out the word. "I think it would be best to just try and work together. You know, compromise," I pause, "And as much as I would like to reel him in, Donny isn't going to help us think of a plan that he thinks will put me in danger. If I remove myself from the equation, he could really help us." Aldo's facial expression doesn't change, but he nods in response, "Alright Don, if you agree to help us, we'll forget about using your nurse here as bait." Donny seems to relax a bit, beginning to rub my back a little as we listen to the men recount their journey to the base and back. The Lieutenant starts to debrief Donny and I politely excuse myself, walking to the front porch to get some air. It feels like ages since I've been on a walk. I hear the door open and shut behind me and glance back to see Hirschberg, who is carrying an extra coat that he drapes over my shoulders.

"Thanks," I smile at him, "How did the mission go?"  
>"It went well; no unexpected turn of events or unwanted run-ins with anyone we weren't expecting."<br>"I hope you don't mind me saying this Private, but you're awfully young looking," I inspect his face and see a trace of a smile.  
>"I'll take it as a compliment, soldier," he pauses, "Sorry I asked about you and Serge's alone time, I really didn't mean anything by it, honest."<br>I let out a small laugh, "It's quite alright, I know you meant no harm. To be completely honest, we did spend most of our time alone sleeping," well it is the truth.  
>"It's just, when I saw your expression, I felt like I shouldn't have asked," he chuckles, "I really need to learn when to shut up."<br>I shake my head, "No, it's alright. Don't say that. I kind of admire your ballsy attitude, just not so much when it's directed at me."

* * *

><p>I walk in through the front door into a warm house, and I can't quite feel my fingers because of how cold it was outside. But the nice conversation and walk I shared with Hirschberg seemed to be well worth it. I place the spare coat on a rack by the door and feel large, warm arms envelop me from behind. I feel hot breath on my ear, "I'm really hoping that's you, Don." Donny lets out a small laugh that lets me know it's him and I smile, taking in his musky scent.<p>

"Jeez babe, you're freezing cold," he says, feeling my arms. I tilt my head back to see his face, "Maybe the bed with all its sheets will warm me up." And I can tell it does the trick, he grins from ear-to-ear. I see Hirschberg scurry by, holding his hands up, "I'm leaving, I'm leaving!" Donny lets out a chuckle, and as soon as Hirschberg is out of the room, he responds, running his hands up my sides, "Yeah, there'll also be a big bear to warm you up, too." I giggle, turning around to nuzzle into his chest. "So I take it you don't regret what happened tonight?" he pulls away a bit and looks at me unsure. "Of course I don't, Donny. I _was _begging you after all." I smile coyly, bringing my arms up to his neck and playing with the little bits of hair there. He grins down at me, "So should I be the one who begs now?" I let out a breathy laugh as he lifts me up and puts an arm under my butt to hold me up. "Alright then kitten, would you let me warm you up?" I offer a sultry smile, and although an unpleasant memory of August calling me that exact name tries to resurface, I push it back down; it's much better when Donny says it. "It would be my pleasure Sergeant," I say in the most seductive voice I can muster. His breathing seems to increase as he presses his forehead against mine, "I fucking love when you call me Sergeant like that," and his tone is aggressive and oozing with need, which just makes my heart patter faster as he pushes me down onto the living-room floor.

* * *

><p>The light bluish hue of early morning is seeping through the window, reminding me that Donny and I fell asleep in the main room last night. I shiver from the cold and pull the makeshift blanket that is my dress up to my neck. My bare body feels uncomfortable against the harsh ground underneath me. I turn onto my side to get a good view of Donny's sleeping form. He has his coat covering his legs. I watch his massive chest as he breathes and I lay my head on the rising-and-falling mass. "Donny?" I whisper, entangling my fingers in his chest hair as I try to coax him awake – we need to get back to our room before someone comes down here. The only response I receive is a muffled grunt. I kiss his chest while rubbing his side, again to no avail. After a moment, my eyes revert back to the coat covering his legs, and a brilliant idea comes to me. I can't help but grin wildly as I slowly position myself under the peacoat and look at his member. Even flaccid, it's a size to be reckoned with – but it won't stay flaccid for long. I take one last look at his sleeping face and take him in my hand, stroking a bit. He stirs a little and mumbles something incoherent. I lick from his base to the tip, then put his tip into my mouth sucking very lightly, and slowly inch him in until he's all the way in. Now he's really starting to wake up, I see his eyes jolt open and a gasp escapes his lips.<p>

"Holy… Elle… what are you–" and a moan escapes his lips as I move my mouth a little faster. I pull my mouth off of him and smirk as I press a finger to his lips, "Ssh, someone will hear you." I return to the task at hand and he runs his hands past my jaw and to my hair, motioning my head as he grabs handfuls. I can tell it's hard for him to stay quiet because his breathing is becoming incredibly erratic and sharp. I start using my hands with my mouth and can tell it's really working by the way he thrusts his hips up and tightens his grip on me. His facial expression is so intense, and the way he is looking down at me is riling me up – the same fire in his eyes that he always has when his desire for me overtakes everything else. I can tell he's close but he gently pushes me off, "Wait, I don't want to come yet," he says in a breathless voice. I'm confused, but he repositions us to where we're both on our knees and he's behind me. He starts caressing my sex with one hand while holding my wrists behind me with the other. "You're that wet for me?" he asks in a whisper, pulling his dripping fingers away and smirking. His hot breath is blowing in my ear and I nod, smiling back at him. He offers me a cocky smile and bends me over a bit, holding me steady by draping his arm under my breasts, then he lines himself up with my entrance. He thrusts in and I gasp loudly from the sensation. Doing it from behind makes me feel like he's going in much deeper, and it makes it so sensual. I place my hands on the ground; unable to hold myself steady any longer. He responds by bending over me more, his chest right up against my back as he slams into me over and over again. He starts rubbing me from the outside, and I let out an involuntary moan. "No," he says in a stern voice, "If I can't moan, then you certainly can't," he places his hand over my mouth with the hand he isn't using. Something about how aggressive and dominant he's being is driving me wild. I'm letting out muffled moans into the palm of his hand, and I honestly think that this pleasure is intense enough to send me into cardiac arrest. I put a hand over his at it furiously works at my clit, moving it in motion with his. My muffled moans just get louder as he thrusts into me with more and more vigor. "Shh," he whispers, chuckling in my ear, "Someone will hear you." I focus on the pleasure, trying my hardest not to scream out his name.

"Donny, please," I beg.  
>"Please what, baby?" he breathes in a husky voice, "Do you want to come, is that what it is?"<br>"Mmm, yes. Please," I murmur.  
>"Please what?" and I can feel his hot breath on my face.<br>"Please, Sergeant," I almost squeak out, unsure of how much longer I can hold myself back.  
>"I'm not done with you yet," he says in a stern voice, and a shock rolls through my chest with each word.<br>"But I'm so close," I breathe out, pressing his hand against my clit harder.  
>He quickens his rhythms, making it even harder to control myself. Our breathing is getting heavy, and there's sweat pooling in between our bodies. Just as I'm about to ask again, I come uncontrollably. Donny follows short after, right onto my back. He lets out a heavy sigh, cursing again, "Fuck," He sounds so flustered and it makes me laugh. "Don't move!" he says exasperatedly, still in a whisper, and it only makes me laugh more. "It's okay," I murmur, my eyelids feeling incredibly heavy. He sighs again, obviously looking for something other than my dress to clean up with. "Alright, don't move. I'm serious. I'm going to go get some tissues or something." He gets up – completely naked, half running, half tiptoeing, to get upstairs. All the while, I'm lying on my stomach, completely naked as well. After a moment, I hear steps behind me, and I giggle, "Did you find anything?" I whisper looking back. I feel my heart drop as I take in the sight of Wicki behind me, his eyes wide. "Shit!" I exclaim, rolling over and grabbing Donny's coat to throw over myself. He immediately covers his eyes and turns around, quickly muttering out profuse apologies. I feel my face go entirely red and my mind is spinning trying to figure out what to say.<p>

He turns around and exasperatedly tries to explain himself, "I just– I heard a noise down here and needed to check it out. I didn't think… I can't believe I just… why the hell are you lying naked like that in a house full of men?!" I pull Donny's coat up higher up to feel more secure and become aware of the incredibly uncomfortable feeling of Donny's ejaculate dripping from my back onto the carpet. I see Wilhelm's eyes drift to my legs and I look down myself, noticing that my legs are all the way out from under the coat. He reaches over to my dress and drapes it over my legs with a dangerous look in his eyes. He turns to leave, bumping into Donny in the process. Donny stares at me, hands full with crumpled-up tissues and his mouth hanging open. My mortification doesn't die down, even when I hear Wicki scuffle upstairs. Donny begins wiping my back up lightly and then sits next to me, chucking lightly. "It's not funny!" I half-yell, half-whisper at him as he attempts to muffle his laughter. "Donny!" I snap, slapping his side, "I'm so embarrassed!" I exclaim, hiding my face in my hands. He rubs my back lightly, "You have nothing to be ashamed of," he whispers, "Don't worry, he's not going to bring it up; it'll be like it never happened." I nod unsurely, nuzzling my head into his chest and reveling in his musky scent. I stand up offering my hand out to Donny, "We should get back to our room, you know," I say softly. He takes my hand but gets up on his own, knowing fully well that if he put his weight into it he'd just yank me back down. He swings me over his shoulder again and I hold back the urge to shriek. He lets out a quiet but hearty laugh, patting my bare bottom with his palm.


	11. Dear Darkness

**So I updated a bit quicker than last time :) This one is a little on the short side but it's certainly not boring. Let me know what you all think! Thanks to those of you continuing to read my work and sticking with me even though I am terrible at updating.**

* * *

><p>I wake up in bed, where I'm supposed to be.<p>

I clamber out of bed and make my way downstairs slowly, the sleep having not worn off fully. The house is eerily quiet, and it's making me nervous. "Hello?" I call out once I reach the bottom of the stairs. No response. There's a yellow sheet of paper on the kitchen table with a few sentences scrawled onto it:

_Elle,_

_We are out scoping an area out a couple of towns over. We'll be home later tonight if all goes well, so you'll be home alone most of the day._

_Lt._

I mull the paper over in my hands, folding it and placing it back on the counter. I smirk as a thought comes to me and grab the pen on the table. I scribble in my neatest handwriting:

_Lieutenant,_

_You men will not be the only ones going out today, I will be visiting town. I know this will prove worrisome, but I promise to not stay out long and keep safe._

_Elle_

Placing my note where I found Aldo's, I run upstairs to change into something more suitable. I get dressed and throw on a large hat that would cover most of my face. I am about to walk out the door when I notice Donny's bat in the corner of the kitchen and wonder why it was still here. I walk over to it slowly, eyeing it up. I pick up the bat, rolling it over in my hands. I stare at the names carved in and run my hand over each one until I feel a quick prick of what is most likely a splinter lodging its way into my finger. I retract it with a small his and lay the bat back down, heading for the front door once again.

* * *

><p>I slip through the back door of the bistro, being sure to only open the door a sliver – just enough for me to get through. I see the back of a woman's head; long dark hair put up in a messy bun, and immediately I recognize her as Anja. I wait quietly in the back while she talks to the pastry chef. Within a second of her turning around, she looks up and her eyes go wide. She shuffles quickly over to me, embracing me. "<em>You really need to check up on us more! You have me sickly worrying about you!" <em>She says almost exasperatedly. _"I told you, I'd check in as often as I could. I'm doing all right, though. What's been going on with you? Where's Marie?_" She lets me go, holding me at arm's length to examine me. She goes on for a little bit about Marie being on a date, continuing on to say they're doing just fine but they worry about me each day. As she finishes, I feel a tang of guilt. My closest friends in the world, women I've grown up with, and I'm off having some sort of adventure while they're worried sick about me. I finally ask the question that's been nagging at me for a few weeks now, since the last time I saw her, _"Anything new with the August situation?" _She gives me a look, and I can't quite pin what kind of look it is, but it looks quite worried. _"He hasn't been coming in as often, but he'll still show up every now and again. He hasn't brought you up once since the last time we saw you, though. The bandages are gone, but he still has some scars. When are you going to tell me what happened?" _She gives me a stern look. I shake my head, _"Sorry, mon chéri, you know I'll tell you when I'm able to. All I can say is that someone truly helped me that night. But to tell you more would compromise his safety. I promise you, when this is all over I will tell you all about it." _She looks sad, but otherwise content with what I have said. She tells me the next time Marie will be working and I make a mental note to check in within the next two weeks at least. I bid her farewell and decide to head back; I'm already compromising the Basterds' position by wandering out and about in the city.

I stop by a little shop to buy a few bottles of champagne and some ice for the men tonight, something I know will be appreciated. I don't think they get to drink or let go very often. As I'm paying for the champagne, I feel a set of eyes burning into me. I glance behind me, and the only thing I notice out of the corner of my eye is an SS uniform, which more often than not equates to problems arising. I quietly reach for money in my purse and try not to look behind me again, until I feel a hand on my shoulder. _"I'll be paying for the Mademoiselle here. She seems to have misplaced her money," _the man in the uniform says with a chuckle in his voice. I feel my heartbeat quicken and my throat feels like it's closing up, although I know it isn't August – that's not his voice. The man reaches in his pocket and pulls out a wad of cash, throwing a portion of it onto the counter. I glance up into icy blue eyes and a rather handsome face, _"Hellstrom, Dieter Hellstrom," _he says in a creamy voice. I shake his hand, trying my hardest not to shake; just because he's a Nazi doesn't mean he'll know anything about what happened with August, but he still doesn't let go of my hand. _"Anastasie Claire," _I give him a false name just in case. He offers me a devilish grin, _"Pretty name for a pretty lady," _he says kissing my knuckles. I roll my eyes internally while smiling externally, _"Merci." _He eyes me intently and glances at the champagne bottles, _"Going to a party tonight?" _I glance over at the bottles myself, _"Yes, I agreed to bring champagne if the others brought the food." _He nods, his expression almost blank and incredibly hard to read. He flirts with me a bit until I decide to pipe up, _"I really should be going, sir. Thank you for paying for me, I'm sure a stranger will return the favor someday." _I turn to leave and although I think he is calling after me, I pretend not to hear it.

* * *

><p>It's not until I get back to the house that I start to cool down; I don't know what it was about Hellstrom that got me so nervous, but it certainly had my heart beating rapidly for almost an hour. I go quickly to the kitchen and grab a bucket, emptying the ice into it and placing the champagne bottles in, figuring it'll be ready by the time they come back. I crumple up my note and place it in my pocket – it's not like anyone will be reading it. I hear the front door open and think it quite odd since it's still light out. <em>"Now what is a girl like you doing all alone in an empty house in the middle of the woods?" <em>I hear Hellstrom's voice behind me and curse myself for not being more careful while walking home. My barely-rested heart starts beating up a storm again. _"You followed me?!" _I ask, feigning an annoyed tone. He nods slowly, pacing towards me. _"You know, a girl like you shouldn't be out here all alone," _his eyes gloss over my body slowly,_ "That is unless you aren't alone." _He pauses, staring into my eyes, _"But who could possibly be out here with you?" _he asks, his tone suggesting he already knows what's going on. He starts walking towards me and I panic, my heart threatening to punch through my ribcage. As he gets closer, I grab Donny's bat from behind me and swing it so it connects with his legs. He makes an odd noise and falls onto the ground, clutching at his left leg. I swing again and hit him directly in the temple. Then again on the top of his head before I let the bat fall out of my hands and onto the kitchen floor.

I glance at the blood on my clothes and feel my head go light. I lean against the cabinet behind me and slide to the floor, clutching my knees and breathing heavily. I sit there for God knows how long until I hear the front door open again. I hear several footsteps and reach for the bat again, even though I know it's the men. They're talking about it and laughing a little, and the first one to walk into the kitchen is Hirschberg. His eyes are wide as he stares at Hellstrom's body, and whether he's alive or not, I haven't the slightest idea. All the men wander in and their laughing abruptly stops as they all stare at Hellstrom's body, bloody and a bit battered on the floor. Donny walks in last and he runs right to me, kneeling down and cupping my face, "What happened sweetheart? Are you okay?" I nod my head slowly and get up, brushing my dress down and finally looking up, "I went out to buy you all champagne," I clear my throat because it feels like it's closing up, and I pull the crumpled piece of paper from my pocket, "See, I even left you all a note… but I… I came back and he followed me here. It's my fault, I should have been more careful. But he came up to me… and Donny, your bat was here. He walked towards me and I panicked and hit him a few times. I'm sorry I made a mess." Aldo looks at me incredulously as I go for the stairs.

I lie down in bed and hear someone coming up the stairs. Donny walks in and sits next to me. "You did some serious damage, Elle," he says with a smirk. I offer a nervous laugh back. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" his voice is soft. "No, I was just really nervous and I did it without thinking, really." He rubs my back a bit, kissing my temple. Aldo's voice comes out from the doorway, "Well you did a damn good job. I wonder what you could be capable of if you were thinking." Donny shakes his head, about to say something but Aldo interrupts, "I was just saying, I'm not asking her to do it again. Just commending your work girly." I smile appreciatively, "I didn't even know I had that in me!" and I seem to be feeling a bit better. "Alright, now come on down and have some champagne with us." Donny gets up and holds his hand out, "Come on, don't let all that champagne go to waste." I smile as he helps me up and leads me out of the room and down the stairs.

When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I'm met with applause from all of the men. Stiglitz hands me a glass with champagne and sits back down at a table with Wicki and Hirschberg to play cards. Utivich grins at me, "We should have bought _you _the champagne tonight," he says. I take the seat next to him and match his grin, "Why, thank you. But I didn't pay for them, that officer did because I couldn't find my money fast enough." Utivich chuckles, "Well isn't that fitting?" I laugh a little before Utivich nudges me in the side, pointing towards Donny who is standing across the room. He's holding a bottle of champagne and motioning for me to come greet him. I gather myself up and walk to him, and the look in his eyes is already showing me what he wants. He pulls me into his arms and whispers in my ear, "How about we take this bottle upstairs and celebrate alone, champ?"


	12. The Archer's Bows Have Broken

**I am so incredibly sorry it took me so long to put this chapter out there. I've been going through some changes since I last posted, and it's been very difficult for me to write. Hopefully, this chapter will excite you guys enough to keep you interested. I told you crazy things were about to go down! Please, let me know what you think!**

I feel around myself, pulling the sheets tight to my body. I try to ignore the slight throbbing in my head as I open my eyes to take in my surroundings. Donny is asleep next to me, his chest moving up and down slowly to the rhythm of his breathing. The bottle of champagne is lying on its side on the floor next to my side of the bed, along with the bottle of wine from the other night, and two bottles of what I'm assuming was scotch – all now empty. I'm not sure what time it is, but it must be fairly early if all of the men are still asleep.

I run my fingers through Donny's chest hair, smiling at how serene he looks in this moment. He groans a bit, rubbing his temples. I lay a soft kiss on his forehead, still rubbing his chest, and his eyes open. "Hey there sleeping beauty," I whisper. He chuckles a little, taking my hand in his. "Shit, my head is pounding," he groans, releasing my hand to rub his temples again. "How? If we shared all of that," I say, motioning to the empty bottles on the floor, "I should be feeling worse than you. You're nearly five times my size!" He opens his eyes a little, squinting, "I don't know if you remember much from last night, sweetheart, but I vaguely remember drinking most of the alcohol. You had enough to get you drunk enough to forget, which was about half the bottle of wine, half a bottle of scotch, and _a single glass _of champagne." I try stifling my giggle, but it comes roaring out of my throat. "And what made you think you were obligated to drink the rest?" I ask, crossing my arms, "Surely, it isn't my fault you decided to do something stupid." He rolls over on top of me, "You laughing at me?" he asks in mock offense. "Now, Sergeant… please, be gentle." He crashes his lips into mine, "I'll do what I damn please," he says grinning.

His lips move slowly down to my neck and he moans against my skin. I push my hips up to grind against his and he chuckles, the vibration of his lips tickling the crook of my neck and sending a quick, sharp chill down my spine. "Always so eager. Do you want me to make love to you?" I nod my head almost violently in response, the primal lust crawling over my body inch-by-inch. He chuckles again, this time with his forehead pressed against mine, and he reaches up to knead one of my breasts. Gently, he runs his thumb over my nipples, earning a gasp from me.

He pulls away and his eyes burn into mine, "Hold on just a minute, I want to try something." And before I can protest or question him, his weight is off of me and he's off looking for something on the floor. He picks up his shirt that I probably peeled off him last night in a drunken haze, and proceeds to stalk over to me, eyeing me up. "Now I just want to try this, but if you don't like it, tell me right then and we can stop. Okay?" I have no idea what he wants to try but I don't ask, "Okay." He turns the shirt in his hands; folding it into a long, narrow shape. "Lift your head a little," he breathes out, holding the strip of fabric up to me. I oblige, craning my neck up to bring my head closer to his hands. He wraps the folded shirt around my eyes and ties it, "Is it too tight?" I shake my head in response.

I feel his hands grab both my wrists and pin them above my head. I'm nervous, but it certainly isn't in a bad way. I feel him kiss the crook of my neck again, slowly moving down until I can feel his hot, wet lips on my collarbone, then the center of my chest, between my breasts, not bothering to speed up despite how badly we both want it. Then for a moment, I don't feel anything. I can't feel his lips or his breath against my skin, and it works up a moment of suspense; what part of me will he devour next? I open my mouth to whine but before a single word escapes, I feel his lips against mine, his tongue invading my mouth. My head is swimming with lust, pure and intense altogether. Without leaving my lips, he parts my legs with an alarming sense of vigor, and I feel his thumb press against my clit. I gasp loud enough to get a laugh out of him. He swirls his thumb around and I writhe underneath him, clutching onto his hair. My senses are heightened as I feel his lips move to my peaks, swirling them around in his mouth. Everything feels so good; the pleasuring sensation rippling through my body is so sharp, so intense that it may rip me in two right here and now. His thumb continues to work me while he slides two fingers inside me, driving me further to the edge. I begin to pant, moaning out Donny's name and yanking at his hair.

"Donny, please," I whisper, "Please, I need you inside me." His hot breath on my face, I can feel him panting too; I can feel his throbbing member pushing against my leg. "Not yet," he growls into my ear, his breath sending chills down my spine again. Suddenly he pulls his hand back, leaving me throbbing and waiting in suspense for his next move again. He's not kissing or touching any part of me and I don't know what he's waiting for or what he'll do next. I feel him grab onto my ankles and yank me further down the bed. Next I feel a soft kiss, slow and wet against my lower belly. Before I even know what's happening, I feel his tongue roll over my clit and I take a sharp breath and grasp his hair again, not knowing what else to do to deal with the pleasure. He gently sucks at the sensitive flesh, arousing a sensation that I didn't know existed.

His tongue roams around as he holds down my hips to keep me from writhing more. "This feels so good Sergeant," moaning, I place my hands over his as they keep my hips firmly in place. I can feel myself rapidly approaching a release until he pulls himself off of me, leaving me panting and wanting yet again. I grasp in the air to try to find any part of him to make sure he's still here, that he hasn't left the room in search of something else again. My hands make contact with his face, and I pull him in, desperately pressing his lips against mine, tasting myself in the process. He's in between my legs, pulling them apart again. He slides into me, both of us gasping quietly. I hear him whisper in my ear, "How is this baby?" I nod, unable to form a coherent sentence.

He's lightly kissing all around my chest and collarbones, his thrusts slow and sensual. He laces his right hand with my left, allowing his other hand to entangle itself in my hair. I grasp around and place my free hand on his side. I feel his lips lightly brush against mine, barely touching and unmoving. "Donny," I breathe his name as if my life depends on it, my chest quickly rising and falling, "Donny I'm close." His lips are pressed to my ear again as he whispers, "Good."

* * *

><p>I come stumbling down the stairs, pulling my hair into yet another taught bun. "Goodmornin' princess," Aldo slurs while stuffing his hands in his pockets. I had thrown on one of Donny's shirts and matched it with one of the pants Utivich had given me my first night here, both items are hanging around my frame loosely.<p>

"Where did all of the bottles of scotch come from?" I ask as I notice Hirschberg picking up the remaining bottles from the floor, slowly building a mountain of glass in his arms. Aldo smirks and motions over to Lieutenant Hicox, who is leaning up against the wall. He eyes me over carefully, "I do hope you enjoyed it." I rub the back of my neck, "In all honesty, I don't even remember drinking it in the first place. But that must mean the scotch fulfilled its duty." Donny chuckles at my response, coming up to engulf me from behind.

"We gotta start getting ready Don, we've got to go into town today, maybe scope out the tavern's surroundin's." Donny nods, turning right around to head upstairs to get ready and I decide to make him some breakfast for when he's done.

The house has a barely-working kitchen stove that I use to make eggs. I hold a small piece of bread over the fire in a feeble attempt to heat it up a little, and then put both things on the table. Right on cue, Donny runs down the steps and takes a seat, immediately digging into the plate. I look around the kitchen to notice both Lieutenants have disappeared from the room. Within a minute, Donny has cleaned his plate, and I really can't help but giggle, "It's as if you hadn't eaten in months!" He scoots the chair out and pats to his lap, telling me to take a seat. I straddle his lap and lock my fingers behind his neck.

"I love you." The words leave his lips in an instant, his eyes searching mine almost frantically for a reaction. Plain as day, the words left his lips without the slightest hint of hesitation – an unmistakable statement without an expectation of an immediate response. It takes me a second, but I quickly recover, "Of course you _do_ know that I love you too, right?" His grin is wide and infectious; he leans in and plants a hard kiss on my lips, causing my body to shift backwards, almost falling off his knees. I hop up and smile at him, still in shock from our exchange. He stands up, taking one last bite of the bread as the rest of the men walk into the kitchen.

"I'm guessing we can leave you all by your lonesome without you battering _another_ officer to death in here? Not that we'd mind," Aldo says, earning a laugh from everyone. "Are all of you leaving?" Aldo shakes his head, "Hirschberg is staying behind to gather some firewood and keep you company – he just left. Should be back in an hour at the most." And with that, they're out the door.

* * *

><p>I sit in front of the house, waiting for Hirschberg to return. I close my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun and allowing my skin to absorb it. I was finally able to take a nice, long shower when the men left. I never take long when they're here, always afraid someone will need the restroom. All I can hear are the birds chirping; the woods are such a quite place. The birds chirping, the warmth on my skin, the entire ambiance of these woods is so blissful.<p>

In the distance I hear twigs cracking under a pair of boots. Even though I open my eyes to see Hirschberg wheeling in a great deal of logs, I feel uneasy. "Hirschberg, you were gone awfully long!" I call out. "Sorry girly, took me longer than I expected." He gets closer, now only ten feet or so from me, and that's when I notice a sudden movement behind one of the trees. "Hirschberg!" I yell, but it's too late. A body runs over to him and gets behind him, swiftly placing a knife at his throat. "Don't. Move." I feel my heart drop when I hear that voice. It's August. August who undoubtedly followed Hirschberg here in an attempt to catch the rest of the Basterds.

"Well well well, it's you. You're the whore staying with them? What a pleasant surprise, _Kätzchen_."

I can't breathe. "August, please. Please let him go. Take me, but let him go." His smirk disgusts me, flipping my stomach over itself again and again.  
>"You think it's that easy, slut? No, neither of you are getting away." He pauses to smile at the soldier in his hold, "Tsk tsk tsk, what a shame, such a beauty living amongst beasts. You should have just stayed with me, <em>Kätzchen<em>, life would have been much more glamorous than what it has been reduced to for you."

Although I think of a thousand retorts, I can't seem to verbalize any of them.

"Elle, run!" Hirschberg shouts just as two other officers come out from behind trees. Just as I'm about to tell him that I'd never leave a Basterd behind, the two officers take him by his arms and start walking away. His feet are kicking up the dirt and twigs underneath them, desperately trying to get a firm hold on the ground. He's kicking and shouting, "Run! Please! They won't kill me, Elle. They need information. Run!" His voice sounds desperate, cracking under the weight of his words. I don't think he believes himself, but he's trying to convince me. One of them turns and hits him in the head with the butt of his gun and he passes out, limp in their arms.

I turn and sprint for the door, looking back to see August in tow behind me. I run through the door and into the kitchen, searching frantically for Donny's bat before realizing he had to have taken it with him, luck is not on my side today. My fumbling fingers pull at the drawers in a feeble attempt to find a weapon. Just as I remember the gun Donny left for me upstairs, my legs are pulled from behind, my head hits the kitchen floor, and I let the blackness swallow me.


	13. Sink

**Just a bit of a filler for now! I've started the next bit so it should be out sooner than I've been uploading! Hope it hooks you guys further!**

The first thing I become aware of is the severe pounding of my head. There are a few terrifying seconds of darkness, convincing me I've been blinded, before become aware that I have a bag on my head. It takes me a moment to fully process the situation and remember how I got here; August took Hirschberg and I from the house, I hit my head on the floor when he yanked me backwards, my hands are bound at the wrist behind me, and I'm sitting on a very cold ground somewhere.

I can't hear a single thing other than my raspy breathing.

The rough burlap sack on my head makes me feel as if I can't breathe. I consider calling out to see if someone might come to rescue me, but decide against it. I start to shift in the chair, attempting to pull my wrists apart to see just how tight the rope had been tied. I can't budge my wrists in the slightest; the rope is far too tight. My mouth is dry, a foul taste lingering on my tongue from thirst. I shakily stand up; deciding to try to walk out despite knowing it wouldn't be that easy. I walk straight into a solid object and let out a hiss of pain and fall back to my sitting position on the floor. The noise I made accompanied with the moving of the chair, table, or whatever else it was, is sure to get me caught. I pause for a moment, trying to assess whether or not anyone heard me. After a few seconds I hear a set of footsteps followed by a door unlocking and opening.

"I see you're finally awake _Kätzchen_. I must say, I was afraid you weren't going to wake up." I feel the sting of tears welling up in my eyes. No, this cannot be happening. I open my mouth, unsure of what I want to say, unsure of how good of an idea it would be to say anything right now. I decide not to make any sound at all to create a façade of defiance and bravery when I'm actually terrified.

"No retort this time?" August asks, his tone playful. A lump is forming in my throat, and I try to steady my breathing. Finally, the sack is lifted from my head and I feel like I can breathe again. I look around the barren concrete room. It appears to be a basement. My eye lands on the object I must have ran into, ultimately causing August to come down here – a wide table, sprinkled with quite a few guns, knives, and other instruments for inflicting pain. "You know," his voice breaks the silence, "A few officers have been watching those woods for a few weeks now. We had a few tips that there was a group of men matching the description of the Basterds who had been coming through these woods. Our sources told us of a woman they had brought back once that they never saw exiting the woods again. Many of the men were worried it would be someone they were torturing… holding captive."

He pauses, walking to the table and tracing an edge of it with his fingers, "Do you know what's funny _Kätzchen_?" I look up at his face, a small smile tugging at his lips. I try to make my glare as empty as possible, emoting nothing. "What's funny is that the second I heard that there was a woman, I knew it was you. I realized this woman they had with them wasn't being held captive at all, rather aiding them in their endeavors." It's silent as he continues to stare at the contents of the table in front of him. Slowly, he walks over to me, kneeling on the ground in order to be at my eye level. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispers, "But I will if I have to… if you make me." With that, he kisses my cheek and walks out.

The moment he's out the door and I hear the door lock and his foots patter up the stairs, I let out an inhuman sob. I can't believe this is happening. How didn't the men notice someone was watching them? Who the hell tipped them off? No one lives anywhere near the entrance to the woods, not that I have noticed, anyways. A million thoughts and questions race through my mind entirely too fast and the lump in my throat feels bigger and bigger. Is there a trap set up at the house for when the men come back and will they get away? The thought of Donny being captured and tortured makes a painful sensation settle itself in the pit of my stomach. I feel I could vomit just from the thought of him being hurt. I bring my knees up to cradle my face in, letting the tears flow freely down my face. I fall onto my side and force myself to drift to sleep, maybe I'll wake up in a different room and this will all have been a very bad dream.

* * *

><p>I'm suddenly awake, freezing, and soaking wet. I look up to see August holding an empty bucket with a forced frown, "I'm sorry. You looked so very peaceful sleeping, but I needed to wake you."<p>

He pulls a blanket from the table behind him and goes to drape it over my shoulders but stops, "Actually, you should probably take those clothes off. Wouldn't want to catch pneumonia." An unpleasant shiver runs down my spine and I can feel the sting of tears attempting to force their way out. "Give me a moment to fetch something else for you to put on," he says, scampering out of the room and up the stairs.

In no time he's back with something scrunched in his fists, but it looks too small to be for me. It's only when he lays the articles on the table and walks over to me that I realize what he had brought – a skimpy lingerie set. On the table, I see the black and red lace and I panic.

"Please, anything but that. I'm not very cold. I can keep these clothes on. Please!"  
>He chuckles a bit, "And she speaks!"<br>"Please," I whisper, tears falling down my cheeks again.  
>"Sh sh sh, it will be okay. Don't be silly, you couldn't possibly keep those wet clothes on without catching something." He pauses to wipe my tears with his thumbs, "My beautiful Eloise, I have told you, I'm not going to hurt you unless you make me. Please, don't make me."<p>

I should have done anything but gone down quietly. I should have kicked him in the groin or slammed my head against his, but instead I stood there quietly sobbing as he unbuttoned my oversized pants. He gingerly pulls the small lacey underwear up my legs. If you were to look at him and the way he was performing this task, you'd think we were long-time lovers. He looked at my legs in admiration and smiled. All I can do is sob as he turns around to retrieve a knife from the tabletop. He comes back, reaches behind me and cuts the harsh rope loose, proceeding to pull my large shirt over my head and unclasping my brassiere. I can faintly smell Donny as he pulls his shirt over my head and it forces out another round of sobs. What I wouldn't give for him to be here to help me right now. August pulls the lacey bra onto me and leans in close to where his chin is over my shoulder to clasp the back. He brings one hand up to cup the side of my neck his face isn't near and shudders.

"You are so beautiful, Kätzchen."  
>"Please," I beg. It barely comes out as a whisper.<br>"Do not be so scared of me, darling. I have yet to hurt you."

A few more tears slip out, but wiping them away would only prove futile since more were guaranteed to follow. He gently takes my hand and guides me to a chair behind the large table, gingerly pushing me onto it. "Now," he starts, pulling more rope out and beginning to tie my wrists to the arms of the chair, "I hope these won't have been necessary in the end, but just as a bit of a precautious measure…" he finishes tying my second wrist down.

"I need to ask you a few questions, and I hope you'll answer them without much difficulty. I'd hate to have to use these," he says, motioning to the instruments behind him. "Also, mademoiselle, do forgive me for speaking so much English recently. I've discovered it's much easier for me than French. Do let me know if you'd like to switch back over to French, please." I want to utter something about not wanting him to ruin my beautiful language with his foul tongue, but noticing the sharp objects he has in his possession, I decide against it.

"These are very simple questions, and if you answer them to my liking, I'll let you go. It's as simple as that." Does he really think I'd give up anything on the Basterds, or that I'd easily believe he'd let me go? Does he think I don't remember what he tried to do to me and who saved me from him? Or is he so mental that he actually thinks I've somehow forgiven him and it wasn't a very big deal? He's staring at the table intently, probably coming to some sort of decision of which he'd use first if the situation called for it. I don't physically react to his words in an attempt to tell him I won't be aiding him.

He comes up behind me and begins to pull my hair off of my face gingerly, humming a tune I don't recognize. "Let's get started," his voice is calm before letting out a sigh and walking back in front of me.

"Are you romantic with any of the men?" I furrow my brows at his question, incredibly confused.  
>"Why is that part of the interrogation? I don't understand… why do you –"<br>"Answer the question. Now." His demeanor is still cool.  
>'"I… I don't understand," I stammer.<br>"Tut tut tut, you just gave the answer away," he says with an unnerving chuckle, "I suppose I should have expected as much."

There's a moment of silence before he starts again, "I have some of my men stationed by the house, hidden of course, waiting for their return. In case they figure it out and my men can't contain them and bring them to me, is there somewhere they would go to recuperate? A new location, perhaps?"

I say nothing, averting his gaze.

"Now, Kätzchen, I'm going to go grab something that might change your mind. I'd really hate to use it." With that, he walks back out and closes the door, and I'm left alone in fear, hoping the men will come back before he comes back with whatever terrifying thing he has planned to persuade me.


	14. Fight Off Your Demons

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this short(er) chapter. I'm trying to update more than before. It's just difficult since I'm graduation university in a few months and have a lot on my plate. Let me know what you all think!**

* * *

><p>After what seems like years, August returns with a metal stick, glowing orange at one end. All I can do is pray it's not written on my face how terrified I am. He twirls it in his hand a bit, seemingly admiring the tool.<p>

"Eloise, believe me, I really don't want to use this. In fact, hurting you is the last thing I want, despite the past we have between us. So I beg of you, please, do not make me use it. It will hurt me emotionally nearly as much as it will hurt you physically."

I think back to the question he asked of me; I know the answer. The men said they'd meet up at a friendly Frenchman's house not far from where my apartment is.

"I don't know."

He doesn't look the least bit surprised and continues to look at the glowing stick romantically. "Have you ever realized that when your hand is on a heated object, like a stove, every second counts? A quick touch can leave a pinkish scar for a little while, but just moments longer could cause irreparable damage. I've always found it intriguing."

With his words, a quick unpleasant chill goes down my spine. I think of Hirschberg. If he has died at their hands, there is no way I'd let him have died in vain. I feel the sting of tears threatening to come out, but swallow the lump in my throat with a bit of difficulty and take a breath. August positions himself in front of me. With the stick still in his hand he puts his hands on mine, one on each armrest of the chair, and towers over me. The angle he is holding the stick is causing it to hover over my arm, the heat making me uncomfortable. He sighs and suddenly pulls the stick upwards and burns the side of my neck. The noise that comes out of my mouth is inhuman. I wasn't expecting him to do it right at that moment. It was only for two seconds, but the searing pain made it feel like the rod was there an eternity. I feel tears fall down my cheeks, in my mouth and all over my chin and neck. I couldn't stop holding my breath. I never could deal with pain very well.

I feel August's thumbs padding my cheek and feel a handkerchief dab at my eyes. When my vision is clear of tears, I see August's look of anguish. "I tried. I really warned you _Kätzchen_."

_This is it_, I think to myself, _this is how I die._ I'm never telling him anything and although the men would save me if they knew where I was, they have no idea where I am. They won't get here in time. Even if I decided to talk, I wouldn't have a Donny to go back to once I would be freed. There is no winning. There's no way I'd be the reason something bad would happen to the Basterds. Better me than them. I close my eyes to prepare for another burn, but it never comes. Instead, I hear the sound of the door locking again. I open my eyes to an empty room.

* * *

><p>It seems like I'm waiting for hours. This time I can't just lull myself back to sleep; the pain on my neck is making it impossible. I can't tell if it's been thirty minutes or three hours that August has been gone. How I wish I could just fall asleep and wake up at the house again, or at least find some way to lessen the pain. I feel so devastatingly hopeless strapped to this chair. Where was the girl who beat that officer with Donny's bat? The girl who stuck up to August in the first place? There is no sign of her here in this barren room. My teeth clench at the thought of my weakness. I can't let August take that fight away from me. I'll help the men out in a way I never could – by stalling him and his men and sending them to the wrong place.<p>

Just as I reach this conclusion, August walks back in with something else in his hands. I can't tell what it is and close my eyes in anticipation until I feel a cool substance on my neck, quickly lessening the pain. A desperate gasp leaves my lips in relief. I think of thanking him but immediately decide against it; he's the one who caused the burn in the first place. My eyes open to meet his. He places his hand affectionately on my cheek, "I hope we don't have to go through that again."

I think for a moment and decide now is a better time than any. My getting hurt is inevitable. Maybe my lying to him about their location will finally drive him to the point of killing me, and it will be over with. I won't have to deal with this anymore.

"August," my voice croaks as if I hadn't spoken in years, "I think I might know where they went." With that, he perks up, his whole face glowing.

"Where? Where did they go my _Kätzchen_?"  
>"I told them they could go to my apartment if anything were to happen. Do you remember the location of the bistro you frequented?" I lie smoothly.<br>"Of course."  
>"Well it's a few blocks south of there. There are beautiful rose bushes right outside the apartment that are impossible to miss. It has an alleyway right next to it that they will likely use to sneak in."<br>"_Wunderbar_!" he exclaims running hastily to the door.  
>"But August, wait! You need to hurry because they are large men. The apartment won't hold them for very long. Comb the surrounding areas and alleyways to be sure they aren't still there!"<p>

He rushes back to me kissing my forehead hurriedly, "See how easy that was? I knew you would come around _mein Liebe_!" With that, he runs out the door and up the steps. I know that telling him to comb the area will likely win Donny and the men more time. A sudden thought hits me like a brick in the stomach: what if they decided to search my apartment for me? What if they, for whatever reason, were in that area? There's no way. They are far smarter than that. But the thought alone makes me want to vomit. At this point there is nothing I can do but sit and wait.

Moments later, a small sheepish German soldier comes into the room. Without a word, he unties me and helps me up from the chair. As I adjust to standing up, he hands me a pile of clothes, "_Bitte sehr_."

Although I don't understand what he says, I carefully take the clothes from him and grin. August sent this man to give me real clothes. I hurriedly throw the loose shirt and stretchy pants on my body, being careful not to brush the burn or the ointment August put on it. I look up to see the soldier staring at me, "Ehm… _danke_," I say, remembering the word for 'thank you' in German. He hands me a glass of water that I gulp down appreciatively. He motions for me to sit back down and I do so without hesitation, although it felt absolutely wonderful to stand up again. He ties my ankles to the chair but not my hands and walks back out of the room. It's amazing what some water and clothes can do for a person. All I can do now is wait in anticipation to see what will happen next.


	15. An Attempt to Tip the Scales

**So this is a little longer than the last chapter. I felt that because I kept you guys hanging for so long, I sort of owe it to you to publish two chapters in a short span of time. Things are slowly getting somewhere so I hope you guys enjoy! Please remember to review, I love to hear constructive feedback.**

* * *

><p>The clean clothes and cold water brought to me seem to have given me a new sense of vitality. Not all is lost. Maybe I can stall long enough for everything to go right again. Maybe I can end up back in Donny's arms again.<p>

It's maybe been ten minutes since August walked out and the soldier brought me clothes when I hear footsteps down the stairs approaching the door again. I really hope that's the soldier bringing me some food this time. The door opens to reveal August with two champagne glasses in his hand. I furrow my brows in confusion, "Au-gust?" I ask, my pitch faltering.

"I figured I would wait here with you and drink some champagne while the others do the grunt work. You don't mind sharing a bottle while we wait, do you?"  
>"No. Of course not."<br>"Wonderful. The men will go out and thoroughly search your apartment and the surrounding areas, hopefully yielding positive results. If not, we can just brainstorm ideas of other possible locations. And thoughts always flow more freely with some drinks flowing, no?"

I nod, unsurely. At least he isn't here to hurt me again.

"Good. That's why I left your wrists untied. This way we can have a lovely couple of hours together while we wait." He sets the glasses down and pours a generous amount into each, his smile never faltering. Handing me one, he nods and implores, "Try it!"

I take a sip and smile, too uneasy to really taste and enjoy the contents. Nodding in approval, I set the glass down on my lap and twirl the neck in my hands slowly, careful not to spill its contents. "Only the best, my Eloise." Slowly, August sips his own drink and sets it back down to retrieve something from his pocket. He pulls his hand back out and reveals a shiny, spotless blade. As with the flaming rod, he twirls the object in his hands and looks at it longingly.

"Do you remember the night we last parted, when the men stole you away from me?"  
>"How could I forget?"<br>"Then you'll undoubtedly remember that I am a man who gets what I want one way or another. I was about to get what I rightly deserved before they put a damper in our evening. Don't think that I won't be able to tell if you're lying. You have one chance to confess now. If I come to find out you still haven't come around, I will not show you mercy as I am doing now. I have used this blade on anyone who gets in the way of what I want and you will be no different. This being said, have you anything to confess _mein Liebe_?"

I stay quiet a moment, not to consider his offer but to appear as if I'm mulling it over. "August, I think I've told you everything I know. I'll try to help as much as I can." He smiles, seemingly satisfied with my response, "Very well."

We sit in silence for a while with no sound to be heard but that of our sipping. I feel more at ease when I realize he actually thinks I'm helping as best I can. It seems to me that he should be more apprehensive considering I was with the men for a while and he tried to rape me. I would think he wouldn't trust me suddenly joining his side. But, to be fair, August seems clinically insane. I wouldn't put him past making rash illogical decisions. If I continue to play along, things should be fine. As long as I continue believing that I'll see Donny again, both of us alive and well, I can keep myself going.

August sets his drink down and slowly unties my ankles. I can't keep my brows from furrowing. What the hell is he doing? He carefully puts his hands under my elbows, helping me up. Using the rope from my ankles, he ties my wrists behind my back.

"What–"  
>"Patience Eloise. You'll see in a minute."<p>

He pulls me to the ground with him until we're both sitting awkwardly on the floor facing each other. In a discomforting movement, August brushes my cheek with his thumb. He leans in until his eyes are incredibly close to mine; they are piercing into me making me feel intensely uncomfortable. "You are so beautiful," he exclaims, emphasizing each word. I feel an overwhelming sense of nausea form in my pit. No, please not this again. We're in a locked room. There is no way anyone could stop him at this point.

"I just want to show you my appreciation for aiding my investigations," he whispers and lightly kisses my cheek. I want to shudder at his touch but my body has gone into shock. I feel like I can't move, breathe, or speak. "I don't want you to," my voice cracks, anxiety weighing heavy in my bones making me feel anchored to the floor. Suddenly, a loud snap reverberates in the small room, followed by a sharp stinging on my cheek. The sound seems to echo in my head as I look at August's twisted angry features.

"You bitch. I could have you still sitting half naked. I could have burned you at least three more times on mere principle." He gets up, roughly rubbing his chin and staring at the far corner of the room. "I'm just a fool. Thinking a dirty whore like you would come to your senses."

Unexpectedly, he jumps back around and wraps his hands around my throat. The immense pressure he's putting on my scar alone makes me see stars. I feel the room closing in on me as his grip tightens. The lack of air in my lungs makes me see spots and colors everywhere I look and I can only imagine how red my face must be. And I'm sure this is it. These are my last moments. All I can think about is Donny's smile. I remember the first day I really realized how handsome he was, that first day I went out on the field with the Basterds. The same night we first kissed. I think about his lips and how I watched them closely as he spoke. I remember how all of the sudden, I had fallen so in love with him and I didn't even know. I had no idea that he would be the last thing I ever thought about. I had no idea.

* * *

><p>I awake taking a deep breath. Where am I? I feel soft silk sheets over me. Soft layers. So many soft layers. Is this heaven?<p>

I slip out of the bed and walk towards a window. Passing a mirror, I stare in horror. In my reflection I see big purple bruises around my neck and the giant, red gash on my neck. No, this is certainly not heaven. The door to the room creaks behind me and I turn to see the same timid soldier as before. He sets a cup of milk on the nightstand with some sort of pastry and turns to walk back out the door without a word. I drink the milk eagerly, every gulp causing a sharp pain in my throat. I hear German speaking outside between a man and a woman. Thankfully, it doesn't sound like August. The voices get closer and the door opens again to reveal an elegantly dressed woman.

"I am lead to believe you speak English, _Fräulein_?"  
>I nod sheepishly, unable to take my eyes off of her sparkling gown.<br>"Wonderful," her tone is unenthusiastic.  
>"Who are you?" I'm careful with my tone so as not to upset her.<br>"I am August's younger sister and I am currently hosting a party of sorts downstairs. Could you be so kind so as not to disturb us?" I can't read her tone at all. Her tone is genuine but her words are rude. I nod and she smiles, "_Danke Fräulein_. I'll answer any questions you might have later on in the night once all my guests have left." I smile back and thank her, ready to go back to sleep for a while.

When I lay back in bed, I can't stop thinking about what will happen. Will I be able to escape later on when August's sister is asleep or hopefully too inebriated to stop me? Even if I get out of here successfully, how in the world would I find my way back to the Basterds? There is no way they'd be anywhere obvious. I don't know where the Frenchman's house is in relation to this place and I'm sure they're long gone by now. They'd never risk staying in one place too long when they're being searched for. My throat begins to close up as it always does when I'm frustrated. Here I was. All my life I had been searching for a way to matter, some way to do well in the world. I had been able to make some difference and find someone I really cared about. Then it was quickly taken away from me.

I think of how quickly my family was broken apart and in a sense taken away from me. I hadn't been there when my father was shot in the streets but from what I'd heard he had gotten in an argument, I presume with a Nazi officer, and been shot in front of my mother. I remember how distant my mother was after that; how she only seemed like the ghost of her former self, occupying a fragile, sickly thin shell. How, although I should have seen it coming, I was so shocked when I came home from nursing school one day to find my sister sobbing. She told me there was nothing she could do when she came home to see Maman had shot herself. No one knew where she got the gun. I still have trouble believing it happened. The Maman I knew wouldn't have left her little girls.

My sister couldn't look at me anymore. She always looked away when we sparsely spoke. At times when she thought I was sleeping, I'd feel her sit on the side of my bed and weep. She'd rub my back and cry. She didn't have to tell me it was because I look like my mother. I knew the whole time.

Then one day, again when I came home from school, my sister was gone. I understood, but I didn't forgive. She had left me alone in the house we grew up in. I couldn't take it anymore. I sold the house rather quickly and used the money to start over in my apartment in Paris near the bistro. That was nearly three years ago. Three years and every day I think about my sister and where she could be. Is that what Donny will become to me one day? Will I spend the rest of my life longing to see him again and apologize for the time we have spent apart, as if it was somehow my fault? I can barely do that for my sweet Chloé, I can't bear to do that again with Donny. I close my eyes to imagine a world in which Donny and I didn't meet in these circumstances and doze off.

* * *

><p>I hear a faint tapping at my door. I can't tell if I've been lying awake for hours or if I've just woken up. I clear my throat and sit upright, "Yes?"<p>

August's sister comes in, now in a modest nightgown, and sits on the side of the bed next to me. "I realize I never introduced myself _Fräulein_, my name is Monika. As I said, I am August's sister. He has left you with me because, as a result of his actions," she pauses to motion at my throat, "he is too embarrassed to face you any time in the immediate future."

There is a moment of silence as I take in her features. She is absolutely gorgeous with her piercing blue eyes and thin red lips. It is impossible for me to fathom how August could have such a charming sister. She smiles again and chuckles a bit.

"I am lead to believe that you were working with the Americans?"

I stare at her nervously and nod. After more silence, I question if I even nodded. She isn't showing a reaction at all. Finally, she grins wide, "I would very much like to show you something."

I follow her down luxurious spiral stairs with velvet carpeting; a standard sizable crystal chandelier hangs in the center of the steps. We walk in silence to a beautiful kitchen and she stops to face me, "Now I am trusting that you are still against the Nazis. I do believe you have lied to my brother and taken him for the fool he really is." I stare at her in disbelief. She's going to kill me. She brought me to this kitchen to get a butcher knife to kill me with.

She laughs gingerly, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Don't be so afraid. I applaud you for it. Had I known earlier, I would have helped you out a long time ago." I freeze. What the hell is going on here?

Silently, she goes to a large cabinet and pulls out supplies. I'm too confused to realize what she's up to. She slowly pulls out a huge plank of wood to reveal a doorway and pulls the hanging switch to turn on lights. She steps in and looks behind at me, "Come on now, follow me."

We go down a series of steps before I hear Monika say something in German from next to me loud enough for it to echo in the hallway we're treading across. I hear voices say something in German back. The voices sound incredibly close. We turn a corner and I finally see it. There are six people down here surrounding a table and breaking bread. My eyes start tearing up. August's own sister is hiding Jews in her house.

"Eloise, these men and women have been staying with me for about a year now. They usually eat and stay awake during the night when no one is here and sleep all day to avoid making noise anyone might hear."

I hug her so tightly that I can tell she's getting uncomfortable, but I can hear her lightly chuckle. "The last bunch before them stayed here until I could find a way for them to safely travel north and out of dangerous territory. Unfortunately, now is not a great time for them to escape so they've been here quite a while." She looks at me with an emotion I can't place, but it seems to be pleasant, "I will take you to search for your men in the morning. For now, I need you to get some rest."

And for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I feel hope and joy again.


	16. Through the Wire

**A/N: Again, it took me an insanely long time to update. I am so sorry. I've already started the next chapter and I'm nearly done, so hopefully it will be up within the week. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>I settle myself back into bed and immediately realize I am going to have trouble falling asleep. Again. I stare at the ceiling above me and wonder how tomorrow will unfold. I wish I knew where the men were and what they were up to. Considering how late it must be, I assume most of them are asleep. A part of me can't help but feel that Donny is probably awake and restless, worried about where I am and how I'm doing. But I hope he's asleep. I hope he can sense we're close to meeting again. Most of all, I hope Hirschberg is okay.<p>

My mind starts swimming and I put my hands over my eyes and sigh. Does Monika know where my men are? Or is she just setting a trap? I really shouldn't have given in so easily but I felt stuck. It isn't like I have many options. So many questions have been running through my mind today. I try to think of something, anything to help me fall asleep. I resort to closing my eyes and blanking everything else out. It's not working.

After a restless night, I see sunlight seeping past the blinds, sprawled out all over the walls.

I faintly hear plates clinking downstairs – the distinct sound of someone having breakfast. Slowly, I sit up and throw my legs over the side of the bed, taking a deep breath. Today, no matter what happens, I will finally have a better idea of the outcome of my situation. This might be one of the last few peaceful moments I have if things somehow go wrong. I look over at the door, freeing my mind of all thoughts to calm myself. Before I can even get up, I hear Monika's voice from somewhere in the house speaking in German. It sounds fairly close, like it's in the next room. I hear another voice growl back at her, obviously angry. It sounds like August. Some final words are said and I hear someone run downstairs, followed by a door slamming. I run to my window, barely pulling the curtain aside to see a furious August storming away. His strides are wide but rather quick.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Fräulein," Monika says from behind me, scaring me a little. Turning, I see her radiant smile and I can't help but smile back.

"What was that commotion, if you don't mind me asking?" I ask quietly.  
>"Well, August stopped by, begging to see you. I told him not to be ridiculous – you need more time to forgive him. I then told him we were going out on the town for the day and he was furious!" she ends with a warm, loud laugh.<br>"Where are we going?"  
>"Technically, we are going out but it is to a place where I think the Americans might be hiding out. Now come on, let us get you some breakfast so we can start our search!"<p>

I follow her downstairs into her immense dining room and take a seat at the table.

"Monika, can I ask you a rather personal question?

She turns from her cabinet with a plate in hand and places it in front of me, "Of course."

"I don't mean to pry… you've been awfully gracious so far, but why is it you're helping me? How is it that your brother is… well who he is, and you hide people in the basement? What's more, you don't seem to like him very much and–"

"One question at a time, Fräulein," Monika says laughing. "I don't like talking about this much but I can see why you'd like to know. Years before any of this started, August and I were actually very close. We did everything together. He was a very bright boy, always talking to me about politics and the latest world news he'd heard around town. One day I brought home a boy I was seeing, Mika. Everyone absolutely loved him. He made our parents laugh all the time, and with my father that's a great feat. Even August liked him, and he was very protective of me so it was a surprise. They'd go out to the cinema together, go to the park, walk around, you know. As time went by August spent less and less time with Mika. You see, Mika was Jewish and August had started secretly becoming more interested in the rising National Socialist party.

"At some point, Mika and I had been dating for over a year or so and he had proposed to me. We were engaged and planning on telling everyone that night at dinner. Everyone seemed fairly happy and August proposed they go out for drinks after dinner, just the two of them for old time's sake. Mika, being so excited about August wanting to spend time with him again, immediately agreed. I never saw him again after that. August came back and told me what he did was for the best, that no sister of his would do something like that. At first I was enraged. I was about to kill August with my bare hands. For days, I locked myself in my room and cried. My parents didn't have much of a reaction, just acted as if they couldn't do anything. After a week in isolation, I decided I would pretend everything was ok, that I understood what he had done. But I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to go against August and one day, I'd be able to truly have my revenge."

She looks down, her features distraught.

"My sweet August is gone. This… monster, this isn't my brother."

I want to say something to make her feel better but since I don't know how, I just reach over and rub her back. She takes a deep breath to compose herself.

"Shall we get the day started?" she asks.

* * *

><p>Monika thanks the owner of the boutique as we exit.<p>

"So she says they might be staying with a veterinarian?" I ask.  
>"Yes. Dominique is the one who brings Jewish families to me so she tends to have a bit of knowledge regarding where people are hidden. Since we've already checked most possible spots, she agrees that will be our best bet. This veterinarian, Jacques, he has a large inheritance from his father before him so his home is quite large. Because of this, he also aids in hiding people who are in danger."<p>

After spending most of the day walking, my legs are killing me and my spirits are low, so I'm glad we might finally have figured it out. We sit in the car and begin our ride to where I'm assuming is the veterinarian's house.

"I'm hoping this is it, I would have really liked to help you. However, I think it's wise to warn you, this might not be it. If your men are not there, there is a chance they have left the city altogether. I do not really have any contacts outside Paris so I will keep trying, but I might not be of any further help."  
>"Is there any possibility they've been captured?"<br>"I doubt it. If they had, I would have heard about it through August. I think he'd have been overjoyed this morning and unable to keep it to himself, to be honest."

At least I can take comfort knowing they aren't currently in the hands of the SS. I don't know how I would cope if something like that were to happen.

"Did August say anything about the soldier I was captured with, Hirschberg?"  
>"He hasn't mentioned him unfortunately, I'm sorry."<br>"Is there a chance we're being followed right now?"

Monika places her hand over mine, "Relax darling. I have been paying attention to our surroundings. I know you must be very anxious but you are going to make me anxious as well if you persist."

I know she's right so I decide to look out the window, concentrating on the streets as we drive by.

Before long, we're riding up a narrow driveway through a beautiful private lot. We get out and I nervously pat down the dress Monika let me borrow. My stomach is doing flips. This is it. They're either here or I won't be able to find them, with or without Monika's help. Monika places her hand on my shoulder to show her support and we head up the steps of the large house.

The knocker on the front door is heavy as I pull it back and slam it forward; it nearly slips out of my sweating hands. I might appear calm on the outside but every fiber of my body is buzzing and it feels like my heart is trying to punch its way out of my ribcage.

An old man answers the door with a gentle smile, "Hello Monika."

I didn't know they had already met. They greet each other warmly and she introduces us. Once my name leaves her lips, Jacques looks intrigued, "What a beautiful name. So nice to meet you."

After a moment of silence, he says, "Please, come in and sit. I'll bring out some pastries."

I want to jump past all of the formalities – the well-mannered conversation, the fruit tarts over feigned interest in the weather and polite smiles – and ask him if the Basterds are here. I want to cry and tell him what awful things I've put up with these past few days and how I can't wait a moment longer, I need to know now. But I can't. So I politely sit in his beautifully decorated home on what appears to be a wildly expensive couch while I wait. Monika glances over at me and senses my urgency.

"Give me a moment, Fräulein, I'll be right back."

I wait for what feels like hours on the couch while they speak in the kitchen. Their tones are hushed so I can't make out what they're saying. I would get up to listen closely, but I'm afraid of getting caught and having the whole thing ruined. I pull on the scarf Monika lent me to hide my scars, play with my dress, nervously fidget, cross and un-cross my legs until I hear someone walk in the room. I look up from the hem of my dress that has become wrinkled at my hands and nearly faint.


	17. We Are Nowhere and It's Now

**A/N: Please review! I love hearing you guys like where the story is going, it makes me want to write more.**** And if you don't like it, tell me why!**

* * *

><p>Tears are falling down my face as I run over to Donny.<p>

"I thought I might never see you again," I say against his chest.

He holds onto me tightly, and although my face is pressed up uncomfortably against his coat I make no attempt to move. Donny is here, alive, in my arms, and that is all that matters.

"Elle."

I pull away to look at him. His eyes look bloodshot, probably from lack of sleep. His hair is messy and uncombed. He looks so disheveled it breaks my heart. Donny brings his hand up to cup my face and kisses my gently.

"Where are the rest of the men? Are they okay?"  
>"They're fine. When Jacques came into the basement, they let me come up here first so I could see you alone. Everyone is fine and excited to see you safe. You have no idea how worried I've been."<br>"I think I have an idea… I've been worried sick. Where's Hirschberg? Have you guys found him?"  
>"They hit him in the head pretty hard, but we found him. I think August took you separately and two men were dragging Hirschberg through the woods when we were heading back towards the house. We shot the officers surrounding the place and I ran in to see you weren't there. We waited for Hirschberg to wake up and tell us he was knocked out so he didn't know what happened to you. Only that he's sure August took you somewhere. He's been beating himself up this whole time. I kinda blame him too, you know. He was supposed to protect you."<br>"Don't blame Hirschberg, Sergeant. August told me those men have been watching the house on and off for weeks. You all missed them. It's no one's fault, honestly. They were just waiting for the right time to strike."

This time a different voice answers, "Shit, really?"  
>"Hirschberg! Oh my goodness I'm so glad you're okay."<p>

The rest of the men are standing behind Donny and I hadn't even heard them walk up. They all look like they haven't slept since I last saw them. Hirschberg is sporting some heavy bandaging around his temple.

"Did that creep do anything to you?" Hirschberg asks.  
>"He burned her neck and strangled her, but nothing more," this time Monika's voice speaks from behind me.<p>

"He _what_?!" Donny asks, eyeing the scarf around my neck.

I gently tug at the scarf to pull it off and hiss at the sensation it results in. Donny looks like he could kill someone.

"I'm going to ring his fuckin' neck, that fascist fuck!"  
>"He asked me where you were hiding and when I wouldn't tell them, he did this," I point at the thick burn mark halfway down the side of my neck.<p>

"Then when I lied and said you would be hiding at my apartment to make him stop and stall the investigation, he tried to come onto me. When I told him to stop, he tried to choke me. Monika here, his sister, sheltered me and brought me to you."

Donny nods towards Monika in thanks. He stares in disbelief at my wounds and I can't tell if he's infuriated or about to cry.

"Now that you're here, I'm okay. I promise," I place my hand on his cheek to reassure him.

"Monika, how are you going to explain my disappearance to August?"  
>"I'll lie and say we arrived home together, you decided to take a long bath. I came up to check on you, the water was running but you were gone. You somehow escaped."<p>

I grin widely, "Thank you so much for everything. I cannot express my gratitude."  
>"You know it was no problem Fräulein. Anything I can do to piss my brother off brings me great joy. I have to be off now, but I will check up on you all later. I'm assuming you will be staying with Jacques for the time being?"<p>

Aldo steps forward, "Until we head into Nadine in a coupla' days. After 'at, we got somewhere to stay. Thank you for bringing us our nurse safely."

After Monika walks out, Aldo turns to me, "Are you feelin' alright?"

"Yes, much better now that I know no one is harmed."  
>"Do you have any idea where they were keeping you?"<br>"I don't, I'm so sorry. I was unconscious when they brought me there and unconscious when I left."  
>"No need to be sorry, we're just glad you're here in one piece."<p>

Aldo goes on to explain our current living situation – some of the men, specifically the ones a visitor would be less likely to recognize as Basterds, are to stay in Jacques's guest rooms while Donny, Aldo, Stieglitz, and I will be staying in the basement. Donny and I share a room, which leaves Aldo and Stieglitz to become bunkmates.

I follow Donny down to the basement to see the rooms. They aren't exactly glamorous but they're nicer than what I did expect – basement walls are barren but our room has two plush beds with clean white sheets.

"So this is our room. I haven't really slept much in here since we've arrived."  
>"It's nice, Donny. Is there a bathroom down here?"<p>

He walks out and gestures for me to follow him. He takes me down the narrow hall. We pass by another room I assume belongs to Aldo and Stieglitz and arrive at a large white door. Donny opens it to reveal a modest bathroom.

"We share this with the others, no?"  
>"Just Aldo and Stieglitz. There are plenty bathrooms up there for the rest of 'em."<br>"Do you think I could take a shower?"  
>"Of course sweetheart, you don't gotta ask."<p>

I grin widely at the thought of a warm, steamy shower. It's felt like ages since I last cleaned myself up. I lean through the open shower door and turn the knob to release the water.

I take off my shirt and begin to pull down my pants. Donny turns to leave but I grab his arm to stop him.

"Please sergeant, stay with me?"  
>"Yeah, yeah… of course."<p>

I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips and he deepens the embrace. Donny's hands cradle my face and I slide my hands under his shirt. I begin pulling it off of him and remove my lips from his long enough to pull his shirt over his head. We continue undressing each other and I take his hand and pull him into the shower with me.

The water feels so nice against my skin, even though my neck hurts at the contact. The steam is already starting to accumulate around us. Donny gently pushes me against the wall and runs his hands up my sides. I see him eyeing my neck again in anger.

"Sergeant, please. I'm alright. I'm here now, don't worry about me."

He lifts his gaze to mine and kisses me again slowly. His hands go to my waist and he pulls me upwards so we're at eye-level. On instinct, I wrap my legs around him. Donny's eyes remain fixated on mine as he lifts me enough to slowly slide in. I snap my eyes shut tight and moan loudly at the sensation. When I open them, he's still staring intently at me. We've made love so many times but it has never felt as intimate as it does right now. His pace is slow and deliberate as he places gentle kisses up and down my jaw.

It doesn't take long for us to come undone in each other's arms.

* * *

><p>There's nothing quite like lying in bed after a nice shower. A clean body in clean sheets – it just feels heavenly. Apparently the men were getting drunk upstairs so Aldo brought us some drinks as well. We are in such good spirits and the alcohol has started to take effect. I feel so at ease that I decide to ask a question I've been meaning to for quite a while now.<p>

"What's going to happen after all this is over?"  
>"Hmm?"<p>

Donny's eyes are only half open and I can tell he was almost asleep.

"You mean what'll happen to us?" he says, making grand gestures with his arms.  
>"Yes. If we make it out of… this."<br>"The way I see it, I take you home to meet my family the second this is all over. We'll pop a few cute kids out and raise 'em in a nice Boston home… or somewhere in France if you want. We'll decide that later. And I don't know about you, but I'd like to see at least three little Donowitz's running around."

I giggle, "Really?" My heart is soaring at the thought. He nods his head vigorously and grins.

"And what about marriage? Or are we just going to jump into having children?"  
>"Sweetheart, I'm gonna marry the fuck outta you. I thought that was a given."<br>"But what if your parents don't like me?"  
>"Impossible."<p>

I look over at him and a wide grin has spread across his glowing face.

"I love you," I say, grabbing his hand.  
>"Mmm, I will never get tired of hearin' that."<p> 


End file.
